Committee to consider work-at-home permits
Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/64087/
GENTRY — Working from home could soon become illegal in Gentry, unless a person first obtains a conditional-use permit.
That’s the subject of proposed ordinance changes under consideration by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission that could then be passed into law by the City Council.
Under proposed ordinances to be considered at the commission’s Aug. 15 meeting, “ an occupation may be carried on in a residential structure in A-1, R-E, R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-4 (zones ) only after issuance of a conditional-use permit issued by the Gentry Planning Commission. ”
The proposed ordinance under consideration and subject to revision would give the Planning Commission the authority to hear and decide all applications for a home-occupation conditional-use permit. A fee could be charged. A permit would only be good for a year, making it possible for the commission to review the compliance of a home-based occupation each year.
The commission would also have authority to receive complaints and revoke permits as a result of noncompliance with terms and conditions.
The proposed ordinance would also cover and limit such issues as signage, parking, home space used, alterations to a structure, noise, odor, employees, mechanical equipment and hours of operation.
Proposed city-code changes include removing provision for city business licenses being issued to those who use their homes as a base but conduct business outside the home at no fixed locations. This would include home-based businesses that provide services at other locations, such as lawn mowing, carpet cleaning, baby-sitting, house painting, construction, contract labor and similar occupations.
Also affected would be any home-based businesses involving computer services, photography services, Internet sales or sales of other items at craft shows and art fairs.
If an address in a residential zone must be used to obtain a business license or a salestax permit, a conditional-use permit would be required, commission members said. No business licenses would be issued without the use of a physical address.
If the proposal is adopted by the City Council, residents would not be able to obtain business licenses using a home address without the conditional-use permits. Those not obtaining permits would be required to cease their home-based occupation until a commercially zoned base was established.
The purpose of the proposed measure is to prevent the abuse of zoning regulations within the city and to preserve the residential nature of residentially zoned properties.
A public hearing on the proposed ordinance changes was held June 19, but there was little or no public comment. The public may attend the 7 p. m. Aug. 15 meeting or the subsequent council meeting and request to be heard on the matter.