Council Votes Ban on Pushcart Vendors
Pushcart vendors will be banned from all city streets, sidewalks, alleys, parks and other public property starting next month.
The City Council voted this week to outlaw such businesses, saying they create litter and are a thing of the past.
“Carl Karcher, who is now a very wealthy and popular man, started his Carl’s Jr. [chain] with a pushcart, as we all know,” Councilman Don Bankhead said. But “the pushcart of Carl Karcher days has come and gone.”
Some residents spoke against the ban, and Mayor Chris Norby and Councilman F. Richard Jones voted against it, saying it is too harsh and will force many people out of business.
In other action at Tuesday’s meeting, the council approved a zoning change to allow construction of a five-unit apartment building, despite protests from nearby residents. The complex will be on a half-acre lot on Union Avenue.
Neighbors had urged the council to deny the request for a zoning change and presented a petition with more than 100 signatures of people who opposed the project.
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