Tomball City Council approves food truck park zoning inside city limits

Attached to one of the proposed projects are Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan and her husband, Mike. The couple plans to open 403 Eats, which will be located at 403 E. Main St., Tomball.

“We eat at every restaurant, and we never eat at home, so our objective is to diversify into food,” Mike Fagan said. “The food truck thing has become [a] millennial [trend]—it’s become crazy. It’s going to be a first-class place; it’s going to be run by us. It’s not going to be trashy by any stretch of the imagination.”

As a co-owner, Gretchen Fagan recused herself from discussion and voting. Mayor Pro Tem Chad Degges led the meeting during the two agenda items related to food truck courts: one that created the new land use and another that amended a city ordinance to lessen restrictions on food trucks parked in the court.

The move comes after a city ordinance adopted by the city in August banned food trucks from parking in the city for more than four hours.

Council Member Field Hudgens raised concerns about the length of time the trucks would be allowed to park at the court and how the trucks would be cleaned. However, Mike Fagan said the trucks are required to maintain health permits from Harris County, and facilities would be provided on-site to responsibly dispose of hazardous waste like used cooking oil.

“The inside container is going to be the chef’s operation—they have to abide by all the laws of the state,” Mike Fagan said. “They have to go by the same laws as a regular restaurant.”

The council ultimately approved the land use with the stipulation that trucks can only park for a maximum of six months at a time.

Gretchen said once the conditional use permit is approved, 403 Eats could be open in late April or early May.