BOISE, Idaho — Portland, Oregon is famous for its food truck parks and now the concept is expanding in Boise.
On Monday, Boise Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a project that developers say will revitalize a portion of State Street. The proposal known as Cart Life would include a bar to serve beer, wine, and possibly have up to five food trucks set up at the former Tate’s Rents property site.
“We have worked down the veteran’s park neighborhood for 13 years at our current business and we really love the neighborhood. We are super excited to bring this new unique concept to this area. We think it’s going to be something that really lifts the entire neighborhood,” said Heidi Ramos, the applicant for the conditional use permit.
Ramos said the development would be more of a permanent food truck park with a minimum of six months lease for food truck vendors.
“So we don’t have them in and out and predictability of ‘who’s going to be there I don’t know let’s just go and find out',” she said. “We’re going to have hopefully, five different ethic choices so people know what to always expect.”
Some Boise Planning and Zoning commissioner addressed the hours of operations for the park.“We had discussed that food trucks will stop operations probably around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. and the bar will stay open until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. We don’t intend to be an all-night type of environment we see our facility being a more family-based environment,” Ramos said.
Ramos said the project will work to limit noise out of respect for its neighbors.“
For noise mitigation, we are installing power, sewer, and water to the trucks there will be no running of generators,”she said.
But not everyone is excited about the plan. A nearby resident says she's concerned.
“It will serve booze to a vulnerable population, increased traffic issues on State Street, bring more crime, panhandling, and vagrancy to an already low-income area in town,” said Gretchen Hoyt, a Treasure Valley resident.
The applicant told commissioners the bar will not be serving liquor or are seeking a liquor license.
