A developer has submitted plans to build a permanent food truck park featuring nearly two dozen vendors and a central dining pavilion along County Road 484 in southern Marion County.
A special use permit for the new Marion Central Market, the name of the proposed food truck park, will come before the Marion County Board of County Commissioners next month. Walter Pimentel is presenting the request on behalf of property owner Carla Garcia.
The food truck park is being proposed at a 2.02-acre vacant parcel located east of SE 47th Avenue and west of an existing drainage retention area in Belleview.
The site is situated just east of a Dollar General (13415 SE 47th Avenue) and it borders the Tropicana Village and Belleview Heights Estates subdivisions.
According to a conceptual site plan filed with the county, the park would accommodate up to 24 food trucks arranged around an open-air pavilion. The central dining hall is designed to seat approximately 120 customers and would feature ceiling fans and hand-washing stations.
Unlike temporary pop-up events, the new development would be a permanent fixture. To that end, the application indicates that the park would include permanent restroom facilities built to commercial building code standards, rather than portable toilets.
County staff recommends approval of the Special Use Permit with specific conditions. These proposed conditions would limit the business hours to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
Additionally, the sale and on-site consumption of alcoholic beverages would be prohibited unless a separate permit is obtained in the future, and amplified noise would not be allowed.
The project requires a Special Use Permit because while the property is zoned Neighborhood Business (B-1), which allows for restaurants, a food truck park with outdoor kitchens and seating falls under a special category requiring board approval.
The applicant has requested certain waivers regarding county development standards. Specifically, the site plan proposes a six-foot vinyl security fence along the property’s northern boundary, which abuts residential lots in Tropicana Village. That would replace the masonry buffer wall typically required by the land development code.
There are additional waivers related to driveway spacing and utility connections that have also been requested due to the distance from central water and sewer lines.
As of mid-January, county staff noted that one letter of opposition has been received regarding the project.
While the Marion County Planning & Zoning Commission was scheduled to review the request on Jan. 26, the final decision on the Special Use Permit lies with the Marion County Board of County Commissioners.
The proposal is currently scheduled to go before the commission during an upcoming meeting in February.
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