PUSH COMES TO SHOVE CITY CONFRONTS CONCERN OVER ROADSIDE VENDORS.

Byline: Judy O'Rourke Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Roadside peddlers of flowers, fruit and food might need permits to sell their wares if new rules under study by the city are adopted as law.

The quasi-official city Redevelopment Committee is exploring whether vendors who stand on street corners, push carts or sell wares from vehicles might pose a hazard to customers. Some ice cream vendors who converge on schools at day's end pose a risk to children.

``The pushcarts themselves and the peddlers' solicitations around schools do pose a risk when schools are either letting out or parents are dropping off kids because they impede traffic,'' said Alex Hernandez, an administrative analyst for the city's Economic Development Department. ``The committee is considering banning the selling of goods within a certain radius or distance from schools along public sidewalks or in streets.''

The number of pushcart operators and mobile operators has grown, primarily around Newhall, Hernandez said. Large trucks, which can block driveways and other drivers' sight lines, pose the greatest concern.

Peddling regulations have proved successful in other communities. The city of Pasadena was mired in an endless cycle of confiscating and disposing of pushcart goods before a win-win ordinance was adopted. City officials partnered with the nonprofit community-based El Centro de Accion Social, Inc., to organize a commercial kitchen where vendors' food is prepared.

``We had a terrible problem with street vendors,'' said Mel Lim, division manager for Pasadena's health department. ``Through (community development) grants, 35 or so vendors are given money to purchase legal pushcarts.''

Pasadena's ordinance prohibits street vending of food on city streets and sidewalks without a permit. Lim said the problem has not disappeared but it has improved. Randy Jurado Ertll, El Centro's executive director, said the program has benefited the city and community members, many of whom have become self-employed.

The city of Santa Cruz recently revised its long-standing mobile food vending ordinance to require background checks on vendors.

``In essence, they cannot be convicted of felonies involving any sort of substance, driving or sex-related crime,'' said Tina Shull, management assistant in the Santa Cruz city manager's office.

State law allows cities to regulate, but not ban, vendors selling goods from parked vehicles in residential neighborhoods. Cities can adopt more stringent rules.

Santa Clarita is one of six contract cities in which the county issues some business licenses within city bounds, Hernandez said. It is the only city among the six where the county issues peddler permits. The county inspects some peddler activities.

The city allows street vendors limited opportunities to operate at special events. Peddler laws cannot restrict mobile vendors on private property, such as business parks. Hernandez said some complicated issues could come into play in writing the law, including enforcement, types of merchandise and whether offenders' vehicles could be confiscated.

If the Redevelopment Committee endorses a sample ordinance that may be created by April, it could pass along a recommendation to the Redevelopment Agency to adopt the measure.

Judy O'Rourke, [phone]

judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) The city of Santa Clarita is considering creating an ordinance requiring permits for roadside peddlers, such as this ice cream vendor.

David Crane/Staff Photographer