Guidelines
Home Occupation
Home occupations may be accessory to a primary residential use on the lot and shall meet all of the following standards:
1. The occupation shall be limited to residents of the dwelling and no other employees may be at the site for the purpose of conducting any part of the business operation. If the resident applicant is not the homeowner, the homeowner shall provide authorization with the permit application.
2. Areas dedicated to the use and storage for a home occupation shall not exceed more than 20% of the habitable floor area of the dwelling, except as may be required for state-licensed childcare home.
3. All activity shall be conducted with an enclosed living area, accessory building, or the garage, except as required for state-licensed in-home family childcare.
4. Any materials or equipment used in the home occupation that is not customary to a residential use shall be stored within an enclosed structure.
5. No alteration of the exterior of the principal residential building or site shall be made which changes the residential character of the building or site, including use of colors, materials, construction, lighting, or signs.
6. No traffic, services, or deliveries shall be generated by the home occupation that is abnormal to a residential neighborhood. In general, this shall be limited to:
(a) No more than 1 customer vehicle parked at the property at a time, except for drop off children for childcare or instruction.
(b) No more than 10 client visits per week, except for drop off of children for child care or instruction.
(c) Delivery of products or materials is limited to that normally associated with residential purposes.
(d) All parking necessary for the use shall meet the neighborhood design standards, and be confined to the garage, driveway, or street directly in front of the dwelling.
(e) Only one vehicle, not to exceed one-ton capacity, and one trailer which cannot exceed 15 feet, may be related to and used in conjunction with the home occupation and shall be parked on-site except for customary agricultural vehicles and equipment at rural homes.
7. No equipment, machinery or operation shall be used in such activities that is perceptible off the premises because of noise, smoke, odor, dust, glare, radiation, electrical interference or vibration.
8. There shall be no retail operations that result in regular or intermittent customer visits to the home, except for the sale of agricultural produce at a rural home, where all merchandise was produced on site.
9. The property shall be in compliance with all other building codes and property maintenance standards.
10. Use of utilities shall be limited to that normally associated with residential purposes.
11. All home occupations shall require a permit issued by the Director according to the following:
(a) An application form and materials shall be submitted to the Community Development Department.
(b) Notice of a permit application shall be posted and mailed to all abutting or other affected property owners according to Section 24-201. f.
(c) The applicant shall submit the application concurrently to the Finance Department for approval of a business license.
(d) A permit may be approved by the Director upon a finding that all criteria are met, and the Director may require any additional conditions of limitations to ensure that the criteria continue to be met.
(e) A permit shall be valid for three years but may be renewed for subsequent three-year periods.
(f) A permit is valid only for the original applicant, and is not transferable to another person or to another location.
(g) The Director may revoke a permit for non-compliance with these criteria, violation of any conditions of the approval, misinformation, or misrepresentation in the application, or a change in the nature or extent of the use, or any other circumstance that violates the public health, safety, and welfare.
12. Any home occupation not meeting these criteria, or otherwise denied a permit by the Director, may only be approved according to Section 24-206, Use By Special Review