Willy's Q Shack
Got Wood.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2015
- Location
- York, Pa
Sometimes I have to wonder if it's worth the hassle. Let me start with the basics, I'm in Pennsylvania, I am certified with the health department, I do have my ServSafe certificate, I do have my certificate to collect sales tax in PA. I rent an empty lot along a major highway at a cost of $500 per month. There was previously a restaurant on this lot and I do have a permit to solicit & peddle from that location that is valid until December 31 of 2015.
I vend out of a 28 foot trailer with rear porch. This past Sunday was slow and we were sitting outside at a picnic table in front of the unit when we saw a car slow while the driver was videoing us. We waved at him.
We were closed on Monday.
Tuesday the township zoning officer shows up at my window and I ask him how I can help (thinking he's a customer). He identifies himself and says "I don't think you can be here". I mentioned the permit, he counters by stating I need a HD inspection. I direct t his attention to the certificate on the wall along withe othe certificates. He tells me the lot is zoned for commercial use. I remind him that I'm a commercial business. He then tells me that since no building has been on that lot for 7 years I'm disrupting the flow of traffic passing by. He then tells me I'm operating a mobile business as if it's a permanent business since every morning I setup a picnic table and put up signs along the highway. He then points to the jiffy john we put out back (for our personal use only) and tells us we need a permit for that ($5 valid for 6 months).
Wanting to cooperate I ask him what I need to do in order to operate in accordance with the law. He replies "I don't know that you are breaking any laws, I'll have to see if I can find anything when I get back to my office".
Wednesday afternoon he calls and says since they don't have a food truck ordinance and they don't want the expense of adding one, they are classifying me as a fast food restraraunt and I don't meet the requirement for that so I'll have to suspend operations from that location. He did say that I could finish the term of my rental on the lot which expires on September 16 but not to renew it.
I could be wrong but I suspect that the guy doing the video is a local restraraunt owner who doesn't want me there and zoning guy is looking to get me out for that reason. The zoning guy was not rude or mean and did treat me with respect the entire time.
Sorry for the length of this hopefully there is something that helps somebody avoid this type of issue.
I vend out of a 28 foot trailer with rear porch. This past Sunday was slow and we were sitting outside at a picnic table in front of the unit when we saw a car slow while the driver was videoing us. We waved at him.
We were closed on Monday.
Tuesday the township zoning officer shows up at my window and I ask him how I can help (thinking he's a customer). He identifies himself and says "I don't think you can be here". I mentioned the permit, he counters by stating I need a HD inspection. I direct t his attention to the certificate on the wall along withe othe certificates. He tells me the lot is zoned for commercial use. I remind him that I'm a commercial business. He then tells me that since no building has been on that lot for 7 years I'm disrupting the flow of traffic passing by. He then tells me I'm operating a mobile business as if it's a permanent business since every morning I setup a picnic table and put up signs along the highway. He then points to the jiffy john we put out back (for our personal use only) and tells us we need a permit for that ($5 valid for 6 months).
Wanting to cooperate I ask him what I need to do in order to operate in accordance with the law. He replies "I don't know that you are breaking any laws, I'll have to see if I can find anything when I get back to my office".
Wednesday afternoon he calls and says since they don't have a food truck ordinance and they don't want the expense of adding one, they are classifying me as a fast food restraraunt and I don't meet the requirement for that so I'll have to suspend operations from that location. He did say that I could finish the term of my rental on the lot which expires on September 16 but not to renew it.
I could be wrong but I suspect that the guy doing the video is a local restraraunt owner who doesn't want me there and zoning guy is looking to get me out for that reason. The zoning guy was not rude or mean and did treat me with respect the entire time.
Sorry for the length of this hopefully there is something that helps somebody avoid this type of issue.