(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, this past Wednesday, approved an Order to restrict down Chestnut Street parking spaces for a special event that takes place on August 19th. The Downtown Block Party/Food Truck event is being planned by four local businesses: Homebody; Brown’s Shoe Fit; Unique Salon, and Atlantic Jazzercise. The ordinance states that food trucks cannot park adjacent to brick-and-mortar businesses. At the time the order was passed, the nearby Xu’s Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant was still closed, but the owner has posted on social media, that the business was expected to re-open August 1st.

It remains to be seen how that will affect the plans for a a food truck parked across parking stalls on the right-of-way.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance that repeals a subsection of the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to permitted truck parking.

City Administrator John Lund notes the ordinance is a “technical correction,” that allows truck parking on certain city-owned lots north of the railroad tracks. The lots have been leased for years to Murphy Heavy Construction.

The section being removed (69.11) states “All motor trucks, semi-trailers, semi-trailer tractors or any other motor vehicle with trailer attached may park, without charge, at the “truck/truck trailer parking area, located on Lots 31,32,33 and 34 in Walker’s Addition to the City of Atlantic, with an address of 110 State Street.”

Murphy’s trucks are not affected by the change, since he has a lease with the City. There currently is no designated truck parking within the City.