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Home Occupations June 20,2001 Page 3 Former City Planner/Zoning Administrator Liz Van Zomcren reviewed the Home Occupation standards in 1998 and recommended the following language be adopted regarding employees: “All residents of the dwelling, but not more than one (1) nonresident shall be pennitted to work on the premises in connection with the home occupation. 1) Domestic employees shall not be considered employees of the home occupation. 2) A nonresident employee may include an employee, business partner, independent contractor, or any other person associated with the home occupation who docs not reside in the dwelling unit and who is regularly at the home occupation. This language provides more direction than the current code, but “regularly at the home occupation ” is a term that bears scrutiny. Some of our home occupations use the home as a base of operation for a contracting or service business, wherein employees arrive at the home occupation site in the morning, pick up w ork orders and a work vehicle, and spend the majority of the day away from the site. The only evidences of the home occupation may be a flurry of activity at the beginning and end of the day, and the employee’s personal vehicle parked on the site all day. Do such employees fit the criteria of being “regularly at the home occupation ”? Or, should they be in a separate classification which would allow 1 or more such employees as part of a home occupation? 1 low docs the impact of such employees differ from the impact of an employed office assistant whose only visibility in the neighborhood may be an e.xtra vehicle parked in the driveway all day and a few trips in and out of the neighborhood? Licensee Ben Meinhardt (All-Star Electric at 3585 Sixth Avenue North) has requested an opportunity to address this issue in regards to his business. He is expected to be present to address Council on June 25. Staff Recommendation Consider whether the Zoning Code standards should be rc\ ised by defining various categories of “employed assistanls”hased on their potential impact on thcncigliborhood. Consider whether certain home occupations should be allowed to have one (or more) employees if their impact on the neighborhood is minimal. COUNCIL ACl ION REQUESTED If Council concludes that the code language should be amended, provide staff with direction and refer the matter to the Planning Commission for a recommendation. Any proposed revisions w ill require the Planning Commission to hold a public hearing. T