City officials approved a pilot program for street vendor regulations in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ City officials approved a pilot program Monday that will introduce new regulations for street vendors in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood. The plan aims to address concerns about unregulated vendors by requiring permits and clear identification.
“You have a vendor that is not registered, setting up shop directly in front of a store, not paying taxes. We canโt track them down if there were a problem,” Council member LaWana Mayfield explained during a meeting on June 9.
Under the proposal, vendors would not face criminal penalties, but they would need to comply with new permitting rules. The annual permit fee would increase from $165 to $350. Vendors who violate the rules could face fines up to $500.ย
โI’m a proponent of us finding a way to make sure that we control this,” Councilwoman Marjorie Molina said. “I think we have to be measured with the calls to not really cut off that entrepreneurial spirit that gives people the momentum and the dream to dream bigger.”
Multiple brick-and-mortar business owners came to the June 9 meeting in support of the regulations.
“It’s congested, and it’s uncomfortable, and it’s becoming unsafe for shoppers,” Jodi Lynn McNeely told WCNC Charlotte.
She rents a studio space off of North Davidson and is a supporter of street vendors. While she does not want to see them banned, she says this is impacting local businesses like hers and the NoDa community.
“Distributing food that it’s not monitored by the Health Department is scary,” McNeely said. “Having shoppers in the street, is scary.”
RELATED: Charlotte City Council approves $3.6 billion budget, key investments in youth programs
For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.
About The Author
