Fresno City Council approved a 90-day pilot plan Thursday to limit food vendors on the weekend following a shooting Saturday.

Approved by the City Council in a 6-0 vote, the new “vendor market zone” prohibits people from selling food on the street Thursday through Sunday, except at a vacant lot at the southwest corner of Olive and Van Ness avenues.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the action was part of several changes aimed at increasing safety in the Tower District. Dyer co-sponsored the ordinance with Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Annalisa Perea, and Nelson Esparza.

“It’s one of many features that we’re putting forth in the Tower District that will enhance the safety of the people that go to the Tower as well as the businesses that are there,” Dyer said.

Food Vendor Corner Frees Up Sidewalk Space: Arias

Arias said moving food vendors off the street in front of Vibez, M.I.A., and Bobby Salazar’s would relieve congestion on the narrow sidewalk, where pedestrians, nightclubs claiming patio space, and cars parked on the street compete for space.

“This is part of an overall comprehensive proposal that we presented to the community last night in a four-to-five hour meeting and we received support from the public in that meeting…” Arias said. “I would appreciate council’s support in allowing us to ensure that food vendors continue to operate in the Tower District but do so in a much better lighted, safe, designated area within walking distance of the Tower District.”

Dyer said food vendors draw people to the area, causing them to stay as late as 3 a.m.

“People that have been intoxicated perhaps are congregating and maybe bumping into each other, and the next thing you know you have a feud and someone pulls out a weapon,” Dyer said.

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Perea said that for food vendors, setting up in the Tower District can often resemble a “turf war,” with vendors setting up and claiming space during the busy weekend rush in the entertainment district.

While Nelson supported the ordinance, he said he maintains a “healthy skepticism” about whether food vendors are the cause of increased violence. He has voted against food vendor regulations in the past but said that, given the recent violence, he supported the temporary change to see whether it works.

Tower Community Forum Drew 800 People: Dyer

The special meeting Thursday followed a community forum Wednesday evening that drew more than 800 people, Dyer said at the council meeting. The city called the special meeting in response to three shootings this year in the Tower District.

Other changes include increased policing and brighter lighting in the area. Police would be walking the streets at night in the district “and not just in their cars.” That means officers would be stationed in front of Vibez, M.I.A., and Bobby Salazar’s.

The city has already installed signs notifying the public of changes to parking regulations along Olive Avenue on weekends and Thursdays.

Officials also plan to enforce curfew for minors, which prohibits those younger than 18 from being outside without an adult between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Another planned change involves reducing curbside parking and converting spaces into designated passenger loading and unloading zones.