Preston Xanthopoulos: Hampton has no business allowing a food truck at the beach

I love some good food truck grub. It's the leading cause for me to attend a festival or fair. I mean, baby pigs are cute, there’s something enjoyable about a tractor pull, and I love Christmas shopping for random gifts I otherwise wouldn’t buy, but the real reason I go to the Deerfield or Topsfield Fair is for the guy that sells deep fried veggies out of his truck. It’s a great side to a sausage sub slathered with mustard.  However, that's where food trucks belong, not at Hampton Beach − North or Main.

The Hampton Board of Selectmen recently heard a request from a Hampton restaurant owner to put a food truck at a town-owned parking lot on Ocean Boulevard at North Beach, to fill the void left by the fire that burned down the North Beach Bar and Grill and Secret Spot. As much as I love the food at the existing restaurant making this request, this is not something the Town of Hampton should entertain, for several reasons.

First and foremost, government, at all levels, are required to be equitable and provide a consistent, fair and impartial treatment to everyone. Allowing one business to have a food truck is none of the above. What prevents anyone else from requesting a town lot spot for a food truck? How could an equitable government deny anyone else? They can’t.  Being “first" doesn't give you a leg up.  Only allowing one, is not fair and it is not impartial. To be consistent, the town of Hampton would have to open the door to as many food trucks as there is space for and interest from.  That’s a terrible idea.

It's also neither fair nor equitable to brick and mortar restaurants.  Do you know how much property taxes the owners of restaurants pay?  And, let's remember, that money is going to fund our schools, and restaurants don't put kids in the school system.  Our businesses quite literally subsidize our children’s education.  A property tax-less food truck doesn’t do that.  But, it’s not just the lack of property tax, it’s the lack of upkeep that’s required to maintain a business on the North Atlantic. Across the Seacoast, every spring, you see buildings, going through repairs, in order to open again for the summer season.  A food truck kept in a garage during the windy hell of winter escapes those costs. Yes, I understand, “that's the cost of doing business”.  However, that translates into the cost of the products they sell, giving an unfair advantage to a business that doesn't have to roll property taxes or upkeep into their food pricing.

There’s a reason most communities do not allow food trucks and those that do often have problems and withdraw the allowance.

Specific to this request, how would it work anyway?  The food truck would take up a spot or two at a town lot, taking away what is precious and limited parking to begin with. Then, let's add lines of people in a parking lot cars are moving in and out of.  Is the food truck paying rent to the town?  How much and what would that money be appropriated to?  Our schools?

Supporters of this idea say it is needed since the fire that took the two food establishments has left a void. Well, it has and there is only one place, a coffee/bagel shop at that part of the beach. But, providing a place to sell food is not the government’s job.  This isn’t a “need” or requirement the government has to fulfill.  As a matter of fact, they have no business in that business. Government must provide an education to our kids.  It has to provide safe roads and police and fire departments to keep us and our communities safe. However, it has no role in providing us delicious food—and I'm sure it would be—in every area of town.

If there is indeed a void, and I’m sure there is, it is the job of the free market to fill that void. Parts of North Beach are zoned that would allow a restaurant up there. Remember Lupo’s? (I miss Lupo’s).  We have a robust business community of restauranteurs in this region, if there is a market for a restaurant, concession stand or other food provider at North Beach, someone would or will put one in, within the guidelines and regulations of the municipal government. Not, however, by the municipal government picking one winner and changing all the rules to accommodate that one.

In addition, I don't think the Hampton Board of Selectmen has the authority to grant this request.  Town ordinance, approved last year, allows “food trucks on private property for special events with permission from selectmen.” A.  This would be on town property and B. What's the special event?  Before you get to the “permission from the selectmen", you have to fulfill the first two requirements.  “There was a terrible fire and now there’s not a restaurant on that corner” is not a “special event”.

I’m very pro-business, particularly Beach business. They provide an invaluable benefit to the town of Hampton, and most do so with year round taxes, insurance, mortgages and just ten weeks to make it in. Even the year round businesses find their real profits only in the warm months. Giving brick and mortar restaurants unfair competition is an undue burden and not only is it not equitable, as government is required to be, it’s simply not right. I hope the powers that be recognize that.

Alicia Preston Xanthopoulos is a political consultant and former member of the media. She’s a native of Hampton Beach where she lives with her family and two poodles. Write to her at PrestonPerspective@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Preston Xanthopoulos: Hampton should not OK food truck at the beach