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Fairfax County could give food trucks more time to serve customers at each stop as officials consider broader changes designed to make local operating rules more flexible.

At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously agreed to ask the Board of Supervisors to reconsider the current four-hour limit for food trucks at a single location. The commission’s letter requests that county staff study the issue and return with a range of options.

Commission Chair Phil Niedzielski-Eicher introduced the proposal on behalf of Mason District Commissioner Alis Wang, who was absent.

Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter said longer operating periods could help food truck owners build visibility and sustain their businesses.

“These are start-up businesses,” Carter said.

Sully District Commissioner Evelyn Spain also highlighted the role food trucks play at community gatherings, describing them as places where attendees congregate during and after events.

The request will accompany the commission’s recommendations to loosen other food truck and special-event regulations. The Board of Supervisors is expected to consider the proposed changes at its Feb. 4 meeting.

Current county rules generally restrict food trucks to larger commercial and industrial properties. Trucks may operate at certain residential locations, including areas near community pools, but only for up to 12 days per year.

Under the staff proposal endorsed by the commission, food trucks would be permitted on smaller commercial and industrial lots. The annual limit at an individual residential location would also rise from 12 to 32 days.

County staff has additionally proposed a tiered permitting system for special events, with requirements and fees based on an event’s size, type and duration.

A one-day event, such as a store grand opening, could last up to eight hours and host no more than 150 people at one time. Its permit would cost $120, half the current special-event fee.

Longer activities, including seasonal Christmas tree sales and cultural festivals, could operate for as many as 60 days instead of the current 21. The 21-day restriction would remain for circuses and carnivals. Permits for those longer, second-tier events would continue to cost $240.