Food trucks won't have to hit the road

A popular culinary centerpiece in Coeur d’Alene was on the cusp of being dismantled Tuesday for failing to comply with city laws.

Because its owner has for two years ignored requests by the city to meet code requirements, the Best Avenue Food Court was in jeopardy of becoming just a couple of parking lots along Best Avenue after vendors received seven-day notices Tuesday to vacate the premise.

The notices prompted a flurry of social media activity that had food cart owners asking, what’s the deal?

“We’re pretty in the dark right now,” said Travis Whiteside, owner of Rawdeadfish, a stationary sushi bar that has for three years been a fixture on the court’s west parking lot. “It’s kind of a shock.”

But the city of Coeur d’Alene’s repeated requests for compliance — a dozen requests in all — should have cushioned the blow, according to the city.

“We have been working with him for two years to come into compliance with our mobile food court code, but to no resolve,” said Renata McLeod, city clerk. “We cannot license vendors at the location, (because) it is not a licensed food court.”

Access for emergency vehicles falls outside the city’s code. Out buildings have been built without permits, McLeod said. In addition, the food court ordinance requires three parking spots per vendor, and sewer cap fees, based on the number of outdoor seats, have not been paid.

Based on seating available at the site, owner Patrick Kinney owes the city close to $19,000.

There is also the issue of a backflow device for the gray water from the vendors, Kinney said.

Nonetheless, the seven-day notice came as a surprise, Kinney said, because he met with the city recently, was apprised of the required work, and wasn’t given a timeline to complete it.

Kinney, who owns the two adjacent businesses and the parking lots that have over the past decade slowly been converted into an unlicensed food court, collects rent from the food cart owners, who pay their own electricity.

Since the city adopted the food court ordinance to address the Best Avenue court — after fielding numerous complaints from competing brick and mortar businesses whose investment is substantially more — Kinney said he has been working to meet the standards.

“They haven’t been unreasonable,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting it done.”

City Council member Dan Gookin asked the council to address the issue at its Tuesday meeting, but a newly enacted state law this month requiring 48-hour notice for council action items prevented the council from stepping in.

“I think a seven-day notice is a little extreme,” Gookin said. “I’d like to see that change.”

McLeod said the city will work with vendors, to help them find a new home if the issue isn’t quickly resolved, but even before the 6 p.m. meeting Tuesday, city administrators promised to find a solution to the quandary.

“We talked thru this issue tonight,” Mayor Steve Widmyer posted on his Facebook feed after the meeting. “We are moving towards a resolution that everyone will be happy with.”