At their public council meeting on June 21, Ritchot’s council considered the request for a conditional use permit by Joshua Darlingford.
The request was to allow for the operation of a food truck on Darlingford’s home property, located at 2300 Highway 59, approximately one and a half kilometres north of the Highway 311 intersection and a half-mile south of Prefontaine Road.
To approve the application would be to allow a home-based business to operate in on land zoned Agricultural General.
Darlington, in attendance at the meeting to represent his case, informed council of his years in the customer service industry as well as his previous experience running a hot dog cart.
“Having a family at home that needs a little extra attention, I wanted to have a home-based business and this just kind of made sense for me,” said Darlington. “It’s my passion and [I hope to] get a few days a week out of that area and then service the rest of our community in other areas [the balance of the time].”
Councillor Janine Boulanger raised a concern about the high volume of traffic along this stretch of two-lane highway, citing the risks already imposed on drivers by the highway’s many points of egress.
She provided the example of a property just south of Darlington’s home where she occasionally dropped off her daughter in the past.
“When I would drop her off and pick her up, I took my life into my hands just turning into that driveway,” Boulanger said. “The 59 is crazy there.”
Darlington, however, said that he doesn’t share the concern that his business would make a great impact on the traffic in this area.
“I’ve done some car counting on numerous days over the past few months at different times of the day and there’s upwards of 8,000 vehicles that travel along that highway from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,” said Darlington. “There’s all different types of speeds going up and down that highway… Having another business on that highway is not going to change how people drive.”
If approved, Darlington said that he hoped to cater to lunch hour commuters, with his minimum hours ranging from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If allowed, he’d be prepared to remain open for suppertime commuters too.
Darlington’s mobile food business is called Duke’s Burger Company, specializing in smash burgers. It would be open year-round.
Council unanimously approved Darlington’s request, with two conditions attached: that two parking spots be provided for customers, and that the hours of operation be limited to 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
In the end, Boulanger suggested that this may serve as the catalyst for the province to finally act on improving highway safety along this corridor.
“I think that highway needs to be looked at,” she said. “Maybe more businesses like this will provoke a study to get it twinned.”
Council Names New Youth Representative
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, CAO Mitch Duval was pleased to announce that a candidate had come forward for the position of youth council representative.
“We try to recruit young members to get into the municipal field to experience what it is like to be on council,” Duval said to the members of councillors. “We’ve had interest from a young lady. Therefore, she’s willing to put up with you fine folks for a term.”
Council voted unanimously in favour of accepting Mireille Lemoine to a position on council that has been vacant this past term. Lemoine is a student of École Régional Gabrielle-Roy who will be attending Grade 12 in fall. Her term on council will run from September 2023 to June 2024.
