Two Island food truck operations were granted permission by the West Tisbury zoning board of appeals Thursday to operate at fixed locations for the rest of the year.
The decision overturned a previous denial by the building inspector.
It came at the last minute for the Vineyard Artisans Festivals and Goldie’s Rotisserie, whose owners have been waiting to hear whether the truck will be approved to serve food at the twice-weekly art market opening Saturday at Grange Hall.
Josh Aronie and Becky Minnich’s The Food Truck also received a special permit to resume serving food at the Matha’s Vineyard United Soccer club games, held in spring and fall at the West Tisbury School.
At the meeting, artisan festival proprietor Andrea Rogers argued that a 1997 agreement with the Vineyard Preservation Trust, which owns the Grange, exempts her events from the bylaws.
“We have deeded rights that were already granted, like Alley’s, 7A and the Field Gallery,” she said.
Trust executive director Nevette Previd urged the board to grant the permit, noting that food trucks have been allowed to operate at the festivals for the past four years.
West Tisbury treasurer-collector Kathy Logue also pressed for the special permit.
“There’s a clear precedent here, no matter how you look at it,” Ms. Logue said. “Before food trucks there was food in the hall, or [in] tents . . . This has been going on for years.
“You are the zoning enforcement above the zoning enforcement officer, so you have the power to do this and I don’t see any reason . . . not to do it,” Ms. Logue said.
Town officials last week began a series of joint meetings between the planning board, select board and zoning board of appeals aimed at eventually updating bylaws and business definitions to clarify what kind of food and retail businesses can operate in town zones. A second meeting is set for June 4 at 4 p.m.
— Louisa Hufstader
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