OLD ORCHARD BEACH — A woman wanting to rent her property to two food trucks said the ordinance preventing her from doing so was not clear.

Two food trucks — Farm to Coast Mobile Kitchen and Cousins Maine Lobster — were denied business licenses Tuesday night, as the Town Council said town ordinance does not allow them. 

Lisa Gribbin was at the meeting representing the two businesses; she said she planned on renting her property to the two food vendors to park their trucks on.

Gribbin said she had read the town ordinance and believed food trucks were allowed, and went to the planning and code enforcement offices and was not told otherwise. She said she had “aggressively sought” the two businesses, and the businesses had filed for permits and made it to the Town Council agenda.

Town ordinance allows food stands in the downtown area between the beach and Milliken and First Streets. 

Councilor Shawn O’Neill said he was saddened that the ordinance was not clear enough for everyone to interpret that food trucks were not allowed, and it put the council in an awkward situation.

“I apologize you got as far as you did in the process,” he said.

O’Neil said after a food truck was allowed in the downtown one summer, the Town Council discussed the matter and it was its intention not to allow trucks again. The two other councilors present, Kenneth Blow and Michael Tousignant, concurred.

“I’m saying a food truck is a truck, it’s not a stand,” said O’Neill.

Town Manager Larry Mead said fees paid for the business licenses would be reimbursed. 

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.