Hinesville City Council members have approved the first food truck pad under their new food truck ordinance, after a lengthy and thorough discussion.

The food truck court, to be set up at the intersection of North Main Street and West Memorial Drive, won’t be a permanent establishment, developers said. Food trucks will be rotated weekly, and Josh Wheeler, who requested the variance, said he wanted to bring more options to downtown dining. Wheeler projects having the trucks open for lunch from Thursday or Friday through the weekend.

Council members granted the variance in a 4-0 vote. Karl Riles abstained from the discussion and the voting.

Wheeler asked council members for a variance to the ordinance, asking to be allowed to be used a gravel parking lot instead of a paved lot. Developers said they will install a concrete parking stall and sidewalk in order to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Developers also said they want to retain the many live oaks on the tract to provide a canopy, and the parking area will be designed around the trees. The gravel lot, developers added, also will cut down on the amount of stormwater runoff.

Some council members, however, questioned how a variance this case could be granted under the recently- adopted food truck ordinance “We’ve got to be consistent,” she said. “I think we’ve got to be consistent and we’ve got to be fair.”

Nelson pointed to the council’s decision not to grant a variance to a restaurant owner who wanted to place a food truck on his lot. The Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission recommended approving the variance, and LCPC director Jeff Ricketson pointed out the other food truck variance involved a stickbuilt building.

“I do see a little difference in the two situations,” Council member Jason Floyd said.

Council member Keith Jenkins added it looks like favoritism.

“It’s not fair that we continue do to that,” he said.

Nelson said she liked the idea of having food trucks downtown, and City Manager Kenneth Howard pointed to the success of the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce’s Food Truck Festival. Chamber officials estimate it brought 15,000 people to downtown.

City, HDDA work to put relationship in writing

The Hinesville City Council and the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority are closer to formalizing their working relationship.

City council members approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and the HDDA that spells out the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the two entities.

“The entire board has weighed in on this,” City Manager Kenneth Howard said of the HDDA. “It was an exhaustive process. It took several months.”

The HDDA was created to revitalize the city’s central business districts and relies on the city for certain services, such as information technology support, administration of payroll and human resources functions.

For its part of the agreement, the HDDA is tasked with boosting the vitality of the area within its boundary, with a focus on the Main Street District, Memorial Drive corridor and the downtown central business district, promoting, recruiting and working toward sustainable business development within the HDDA area. The HDDA also will coordinate such incentives as the façade grants and Discover Downtown Revolving Loan Fund.

The HDDA also will promote downtown and oversee Bryant Commons Park and the Old Liberty County Jail. It also will staff the Hinesville Military Affairs Committee. It also will operate the city’s Farmers Market and plan and carryout large-scale events, such as the Scarecrow Rock and Stroll, held at the end of the October.

Once the HDDA signs on to the agreement, it will be in effect through October 31, 2022.