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r <br />I <br />L <br />Home Occupations <br />July 3,2001 <br />Page 2 <br />Codes Compared <br />In reviewing other cities’ home occupation ordinances (ordinances from 9 metro area suburbs were <br />reviewed), there are a number of common threads but also a variety of approaches. Most cities: <br />require that the home occupation occur w'ithin the principal dwelling <br />- require entrance from within the principal dwelling <br />- disallow over-the-counter retail activity <br />- allow no or very limited e.xtcrior signage <br />- • allow no outside storage <br />- allow no more than one non-resident employee <br />- require adequate parking <br />- don ’t allow building alterations that would not be custoniaiy' in dwellings <br />A number of cities add specific pcrfomiancc standards relating to one or more of these topics: <br />hours of operation <br />screening of parking <br />- prohibition or limitation on daily occurrences of deliveries, loading/'unloading <br />limitation on weekly number of trips to/from site by non-resident employee <br />limitation on number of clients or patrons per day <br />limitation on percentage of dwelling that is devoted to home occupation <br />limit on type/number of large vehicles stored on site in relation to the occupation <br />shall not produce lightyglarc'noise/odor/vibration objectionable to neighbors <br />- shall meet fire and building codes <br />- shall create no electrical interference to surrounding properties <br />Some cities’ ordinances include a list of allowed home occupations and'or a list of prohihited home <br />occupations. <br />About half of the cities create two categories of home occupations, difl’ercntiated by the level of <br />activity and'or potential impact on the neighborhood, and requiring vaiying levels of City approval; <br />those home occupations with no employees and no outwardly visible indications nor <br />activity levels that would suggest a home occupation exists. These are typically <br />cither exempt from needing a pemiit or license, or subject to a staff administered <br />pcrmit/license. <br />- those home occupations with employees or which have activity levels or other <br />outwardly visible indications that a home occupation is occurring. These typically <br />require a more formal approval process such as a Council-approved license. <br />Conditional Use Pennit or “Special Use Pcmiit’’.