DEER PARK, Texas - The City of Deer Park has banned ice cream trucks for more than 30 years, and after last week's City Council workshop, officials decided to continue the ban.
The ordinance was originally passes in the 1980s out of consideration for Deer Park's overnight chemical plant workers.
At the time, city leaders believed the music from ice cream trucks would impede the rest of the shift workers who had to sleep during the day.
"An ordinance originally passed in the 1980s prohibited the use of 'loud noises' or 'sound amplifying' devices by solicitors, effectively preventing the normal operation of ice cream trucks," a City of Deer Park spokeswoman wrote in an emailed statement. "Also, in December 2013, City Council adopted ordinance 3613, which prohibits anyone from utilizing city or state rights-of-way, including highway, streets, alleys, or sidewalks, whether or not improved and open to traffic, to conduct public area solicitations."
An ice cream shop in nearby Pasadena has had a busy summer. Workers at The Scoop say some of the business could possibly be from Deer Park neighbors looking for some cold treats.
“Banning anything, I don’t really agree with that," said James Mahaney at The Scoop. "(But) it’s giving us more business honestly. It’s pretty cool.”
The City of Deer Park prohibits all mobile food trucks from operating within the city limits.