The Lake Zurich Village Board voted recently to allow up to two nights a week where food trucks would be allowed on Block A and gave the green light for a special event night every Friday from June through August.
While few objected to the Friday night parties, several members of the community worried that allowing food trucks in the area Wednesday and possibly Sundays could lead to potential competition with brick-and-mortar restaurants in Lake Zurich.
“A Lake Zurich resident has proposed an ongoing food truck social event at the village-owned Block A property this summer to make better use of the vacant lakeside property,” Trustee Greg Weider said at the May 17 Village Board meeting.
According to a plan for the event that Weider read, food truck socials are proposed to be held in June, July, August, and September on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – with a possibility of expanding the event to include Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
However, Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Claire Slattery said she worried the food truck program could hurt local businesses. She said that taking away two nights of dining is not a favorable for the success of some businesses in town.
“They are the ones who pay the sales tax and property tax and employ our locals,” she said.
Slattery conceded food trucks may attract more visitors to the area, but that doesn’t guarantee income in perpetuity.
“They do attract foot traffic from other towns, but the novelty may wear off,” she said.
Mayor Tom Poynton then read a statement emailed to the village from Claudette Dyback, who opposed the trucks. She wrote that she was concerned about parking issues, diminished local restaurant revenue and even public urination, as the food trucks have no restrooms. Also, she said, litter and food waste could attract vermin.
“We have all kinds of animals running around,” Poynton read from Dyback’s letter. “Leaving their droppings all over, who would clean up and at what taxpayer expense?”
She suggested if the city were to invite the trucks, they should do so at Paulus Park, which has public restrooms and other amenities and is away from residences.
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“During the warm weather, us residents have our windows open and cannot live comfortably hearing others’ noise,” Dyback wrote in the letter the mayor read.
But resident Cara Marquis said she supported the food truck initiative as a way to bolster the community. Marquis said she’s been a resident since 1992 and believes neighborhood events create stronger communities.
“We just want to make this community a more engaging community, for lack of a better word. We just want to bring people together,” Marquis said.
She pushed back against the notion that food trucks would take away profits from other local businesses.
“We don’t want to take away any business from any residents and I think the opposite, this could bring in business to our town,” she said.
Marquis said people could come for the new food and then return for existing, permanent businesses.
“This is a great way to get more eyes on our community,” Marquis said. “I just think more foot traffic in our downtown could be good for local businesses. And again, we have no intent to take away from local restaurants. … This would be a great addition to that.”
The trustees seemed inclined to support the trucks.
“I think this is a great proposal for our downtown, including Block A, that further strengthens our sense of community,” said Trustee Jon Sprawka.
He said he’d like to see a Whataburger-brand food truck, though he added it’s doubtful the popular Texas burger chain would be sending a truck anytime soon.
The board voted to support the initiative which will be limited, initially, to Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The board also approved a weekly block party for Block A without much debate or controversy. The block parties will run every Friday from June through August, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and they’re intended to make use of publicly owned vacant space in Block A near the lake.
Jesse Wright is a freelancer.