On-street food vendors eye downtown Muskegon

Feb 8, 2010
Muskegon Chronicle
Dave Alexander

MUSKEGON — Muskegon boosters are exploring introducing on-street food vendors in limited areas to create more activity downtown.

AP file photoA typical New York City street vendor food cart that sells hot dogs, hot pretzels and soft drinks. Muskegon Main Street officials are considering introducing on-street food vendors downtown. The downtown development officials will ask the Muskegon City Commission Monday to consider a street vending ordinance.Muskegon Main Street — a downtown development and promotional organization — will approach the Muskegon City Commission Monday to request a possible street vending ordinance.

Main Street Manager Dan Rinsema-Sybenga said that his organization has been approached by private vendors interested in working in downtown Muskegon. The concept has been discussed with downtown property owners and city planning staff.

“The vendors create a lively atmosphere,” Rinsema-Sybenga said. “It improves the pedestrian experience and provides an interesting focus on the street.”

The building of the Third Street Promenade, an increasing number of downtown events, and the initial redevelopment of the central business district that was once home to the Muskegon Mall have spurred street vendor interest.

While independent vendors have been requesting licenses to operate in downtown Muskegon, existing downtown food businesses are not supportive of the idea, Rinsema-Sybenga said. Also, promoters of downtown festivals do not want food vendors to detract from festival sales, he said.

Muskegon Main Street has specific suggestions for a city ordinance if Muskegon city commissioners are favorable to the concept. The parameters of a possible Muskegon street vending ordinance might include:

• License fees to be paid to the city that are suggested to be $500 for a season.

• Limited areas of operations that might include the Hackley Park sidewalk, in front of the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the corner of Fourth Street and West Western Avenue, the Third Street Promenade from Clay to nearly Morris Street and Federal Square in front of the U.S. Post Office.

• Food and drink sales only, and no vending in front of restaurants.

• Sales would be from carts that must be removed from the street each night.

• Vendor activity would have to be more than 300 feet from an event that receives a city special-event license.

“The food carts would be intended to be long-term businesses — not tied to any one event,” Rinsema-Sybenga said. “There is a high (financial) bar to get over to start one of these businesses, so you are not going to do it for just one event.”

Main Street research shows that street vendor ordinances are in place in Grand Rapids and Grand Haven but not in Holland or Whitehall. In Grand Haven, areas are limited to City Beach, North Shore Pier, the Harbor Island boat launch and Mulligan’s Hollow Ski Bowl.