The purpose of the home occupation standards is to define, design and set minimum requirements for home occupations in the Residential Districts in order to protect and maintain the character of the residential neighborhoods in the City.
A. Standards For All Home Occupations:
1. Maximum Floor Area: A home occupation may be located within a dwelling or any accessory building, but no home occupation shall occupy a floor area larger than that of the dwelling to which it is accessory to.
2. Business Registration: All home occupations shall be registered as a business or as otherwise required by other titles of this Code.
3. Signage: All signage proposed shall be wholly contained within the boundaries of the property and shall not extend or project into any public rights-of-way or public easements.
4. Illumination Of Signs Prohibited: All signage shall not be illuminated or internally lit.
5. Off Street Parking: Home occupations shall provide off street parking for all employees and any vehicles associated with the home occupation in compliance with the requirements of section 12-13-1, appendix A of this title.
B. Prohibited Activities: The following activities and/or similar activities are prohibited home occupations:
1. Repair Shops: Mechanic or automobile repair shop;
2. Manufacturing: Industrial manufacturing of goods or products; (Ord. 146, 9-22-2016)
3. Other Activities:
a. Any activity that is specifically prohibited within the zoning district;
b. Any activity that specifically requires a special use permit. (Ord. 146, 9-22-2016; amd. 2017 Code)
C. Tier 1 Home Occupations: All Tier 1 home occupations shall be processed consistent with the administrative review processes as established at section 12-3-8 of this title. All Tier 1 requests shall be in compliance with the requirements of this section and the following:
1. Employees: No person other than those residing on the premises shall be engaged in such occupation;
2. Use Incidental: Use is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the property for dwelling purposes;
3. Outside Alterations: There shall be no alteration, structural or otherwise, in the outside appearance of the building or premises, or other visible evidence of the conduct of such home occupation, other than one (1) sign affixed to the structure, not exceeding twelve (12) square feet in area. No freestanding signs are allowed;
4. Commercial On Premises Sales: There shall be no commercial on premises sales in connection with such home occupation, nor shall there be any commercial or manufacturing uses specifically provided for in other parts of this title;
5. Traffic: Vehicular traffic generated by such home occupation shall not significantly exceed the traffic attributable to a normal dwelling unit (generally no more than 10 vehicle trips per day on average);
6. Manufacturing: Manufacturing shall be limited to the small scale assembly of already manufactured parts, but does not preclude production of small, individually handcrafted items, furniture or other wood items as long as the activity meets the other standards of this section;
7. Storage: Storage of items in relation to the home occupation shall not occur in a manner that would cause it to be seen from any public right of way, including public bodies of water. All storage related to the home occupation shall be stored completely indoors.
D. Tier 2 Home Occupations:
1. Special Use Permit: Tier 2 home occupations shall be allowed only by special use permit. Reasonable conditions limiting hours of operations, traffic generated and activities associated with the proposed home occupation may be considered by the city;
2. Employees: Tier 2 home occupations shall be carried out by those residing in the dwelling and up to two (2) additional employees;
3. Activities, Storage: Limited activities and outside storage of materials and/or equipment are permitted, provided the site is sufficiently screened from the street and surrounding properties as determined by the city, or all items are stored entirely within a building;
4. Traffic: Vehicular traffic generated by such home occupation may exceed ten (10) vehicle trips per day on average as established by condition of the special use permit, provided the applicant can demonstrate that the traffic will not constitute a nuisance with the surrounding residential neighborhoods;
5. Signage: Signage shall be limited to one freestanding sign and one affixed sign not exceeding a total combined square footage of twenty four (24) square feet. Freestanding signs shall not exceed eight feet (8') in height, measured from existing grade;
6. Statement Of Compatibility: An application for a tier 2 home occupation shall include a statement indicating how the proposed activity is compatible with and will not change the character of the neighborhood and how the activity will address such elements as noise, light/glare, traffic, dust, storage and any other activity the city deems necessary to properly assess the impacts on neighboring property owners.
E. Procedures For Processing Home Occupation Requests:
1. Tier 1 Procedures: Any applicant seeking approval of a tier 1 home occupation shall make application for such request on a form provided by the city. The administrator shall review the application for consistency with the standards of this section and shall follow those administrative procedures as established at section 12-3-8, "Procedures For Administrative Reviews", of this title.
2. Tier 2 Procedures: Any applicant seeking approval of a tier 2 home occupation shall submit, where applicable, an application for a special use permit on a form provided by the city. Staff shall evaluate the proposal consistent with the procedures of section 12-3-12 of this title and those requirements as set forth in chapter 10 of this title. (Ord. 146, 9-22-2016)