After more than three years of operation, local food trucks can no longer serve at Bethany Crossroads in Stedman, after the county on Sept. 3 found the operation to be in violation of local zoning code.
Residents say it’s a “devastating” blow for the Cumberland County communities east of the Cape Fear River who have been enjoying the diverse cuisine offered by the local truck gathering place since the pandemic. Meanwhile, county officials, responding to anonymous complaints, say the trucks were illegally operating on residentially zoned property.
Up until Oct. 24, the trucks had operated on a grassy lot in Stedman in an area known as Bethany Crossroads. Popular local food trucks such as Yummy Hibachi, Scotty’s All American, Bella Nonna, Fry Papi and Some Ting’s Cooking regularly set up shop there. The Bethany and Stedman communities had also used the space for events, most recently a trunk-or-treat.
A county spokesperson told CityView that staff is working with the owner of the food truck lot to reach compliance. But the sudden closure has sent ripples through the tight-knit Stedman community, according to the food truck space’s founder and organizer, Kristina Jordan.
“It’s devastating to our community to not have the trucks here,” Jordan told CityView.
What happened
Jordan said she started the initiative to bring in the food trucks to Stedman in early 2021 as a way for people to enjoy local meals together safely during the height of the pandemic. She owns the business across the street from the lot, Gotta Lil Everything Resale Shop, and has continued to organize the local food trucks and attract new trucks through her organization Bethany Food Trucks.
Jordan announced the shutdown in an Oct. 24 Facebook post, which quickly became viral in the Stedman Facebook group, gaining over two hundred reactions and 150 comments. Community members described the news as “terrible” and “very depressing” and “ridiculous,” and made offers of assistance.
“When something happens to one of us out here, it affects our whole community,” Jordan told CityView. “And we usually come together and organize whatever needs to get organized.”
According to the Cumberland County Communications Director Diane Rice, code enforcement had received three anonymous complaints over the summer about the property.
“Code Enforcement determined an unpermitted structure had been placed on the property and learned about the growing food truck operation on the site, which is zoned residential,” Rice said in an email to CityView.
Jordan said the structure in question is a shed that the lot’s owner had set up and planned to use as a power station for the food trucks. “That’s what started the whole thing,” Jordan said.
According to county property records, Vu Le is the owner of the lot. Le did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CityView about the situation.
Jordan explained that Le bought the property from her neighbor to continue its use as a food truck hub, which she had previously rented for that purpose. When he bought the property, the owner had a “vision” of keeping the property as a unique communal space, Jordan said.
“This was meant to be for the community,” Jordan said.
What’s next
Now, Jordan said Le is working with the county zoning department to get the property commercially zoned, which would allow the food trucks to return. The county also expressed interest in ensuring the food trucks can continue serving the community while complying with county ordinances.
Rice said county code enforcement recently met with Le and presented him with three options to bring the property up to code. These included applying for a special event permit for the lot, a conventional zoning permit to commercial or a conditional zoning permit.
“This would allow the owner to tailor the use and operations of the land to specific conditions and a site plan,” Rice said of the conditional zoning option. “This option requires a little more up front work but provides more certainty to how the land will be used.”
Rice said the county is currently awaiting a response from Le.
In the meantime, Jordan said the community has rallied around the food trucks, with local businesses offering to host them so they can continue serving.
“We have a small town feel out here,” Jordan said. “When something happens to one of us, it goes through the whole town.”
Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608. This story was made possible by donations from readers like you to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.
Ya if it’s good for the community yet the county can’t make any money they put a stop to it!
Great use of country resources…NOT. Three “anonymous sources?” How convenient.