SANTA ANA : Council to Vote on Pushcart Controls

Under intense pressure from businessmen and residents complaining about pushcarts at shopping centers and on neighborhood streets, the City Council will vote tonight on an ordinance that would ban pedestrian vendors from all areas of the city except downtown.

The proposal would limit the number of pushcarts to 13 licensed vendors on 4th Street and nine at the Civic Center, the two most populated downtown areas.

Currently, 314 pushcarts are licensed to operate in the city. Operators must have a permit from the Santa Ana Police Department, as well as a city business license and Orange County Health Department approval.

Jim Lindgren, Santa Ana inspection service manager, said the proposal was a result of numerous complaints made by the city’s neighborhood associations.

“The reactions toward the pushcarts have all been negative,” Lindgren said. “The neighbors are just tired of the litter, the noise and even the rudeness of the operators who push their products.”

Lindgren said the city has also received complaints about unhealthful conditions surrounding pushcarts. In a staff report written to the council, inspectors say they have found cockroaches and flies near food sold by vendors.