Cape Charles to Hold Hearing on Food Truck Rules

Proposed ordinance would set licensing, location and operating standards for mobile vendors

CAPE CHARLES — Food truck operators, nearby businesses and residents will get a chance to weigh in on new town rules for mobile vendors later this month.

The Cape Charles Town Council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Cape Charles Civic Center, 500 Tazewell Ave., on Zoning Text Amendment 2026-03. The town-initiated amendment would add a new Section 32-105 to Article IV of the zoning ordinance, the general regulations that apply in every zoning district, to govern “Mobile Food and/or Beverage Units.”

The change would give Cape Charles its first standalone set of rules for food trucks, trailers and carts, which today fall mainly under the town’s peddler licensing and street-vending provisions.

Town staff told council in May that the number of mobile food vendors in Cape Charles has grown noticeably over the past four years. Most set up along Bay Avenue near the beach in summer or at festivals and events. Staff said the growth showed a need for a standard framework spelling out which kinds of units are allowed, how they operate and what approvals they need.

Staff from the Finance Office, the Town Manager’s Office and the Planning and Zoning Department began working on the issue early this year. Council reviewed a draft at its April 9 meeting and asked for language changes. On May 21 it adopted a resolution of intent sending the amendment to the Planning Commission for review and public hearings.

That resolution placed the rules in Article III of the zoning ordinance. The version now before council would put them in Article IV, which applies town-wide.

The most recent draft posted publicly, dated May 13, would require mobile vendors to obtain an annual town license, valid January through December. Applicants would need:

• A Cape Charles business license and a Northampton County health permit, both displayed while operating
• Vehicle registration, inspection and insurance, plus driver’s licenses for anyone driving the unit
• Written permission from the property owner when setting up on private or town property zoned for commercial use

Key operating standards in that draft:

• Location: at least 150 feet from an existing brick-and-mortar business or food service establishment; in valid parking spaces only; and only on the non-residential side of Bay Avenue
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for units with generators; 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for those without
• Noise: generators capped at 65 decibels, mounted on the unit and pointed toward the beach; no amplified music, horns or calling out to customers
• Service: all preparation and sales inside the unit; no tables or chairs for customers; no outdoor grills; no polystyrene foam containers
• Trash: vendors supply their own bins, may not use town receptacles and must clean up litter within 25 feet each day
• Signs: up to two A-frame signs, each no more than 6 square feet and 4 feet tall, removed at closing

The draft says it does not cover special events or town-sponsored events, which go through the town’s separate special events application. The zoning administrator could revoke a license for uncorrected violations, with appeals going to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

The draft has been revised since May, so the version up for the Nov. 18 hearing may differ. The current application is posted on the town website.

The application is available on the town website, capecharles.org, under Agendas and Minutes > Upcoming Meetings.

Questions can go to Interim Zoning Administrator Rick Keuroglian at (757) 331-2979 or rick.keuroglian@capecharles.org. Anyone who plans to attend and needs special assistance should contact the town at least 48 hours before the hearing.

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Wayne Creed

Administrator

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