A. Purpose and Intent. The purpose of this Section is to allow the establishment of home occupations, provided that such home occupations are compatible with and do not negatively affect adjacent residential properties and uses. Furthermore, this section intends to:
1. Permit and regulate the conduct of home occupations as an accessory and secondary use to a dwelling unit;
2. Adequately protect existing residential neighborhoods from dust, odors, noise, traffic and/or other potentially adverse effects of home occupations; and
3. Allow the residents of the community to use their homes as a work place and a source of livelihood, under certain specified standards, conditions, and criteria. Home occupations shall not involve the construction of any additional permanent building or structure.
B. Applicability. The standards shall apply to an occupation carried on by the resident of a permitted dwelling unit, where the occupation is secondary to the use of the dwelling unit as a residence.
C. Standards. Home Occupations are authorized if they comply with the following standards:
1. The home occupation shall be clearly incidental and subordinate to a dwelling’s use for residential purposes by its occupants.
2. A home occupation shall not be established prior to residential occupancy of the site by the operator of the home occupation.
3. Home occupation shall not occupy more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the gross floor area of the dwelling unit.
4. The person operating the home occupation shall reside in the dwelling unit.
5. Home occupations shall not require internal or external structural alterations of the principal residence which may change the outside appearance of the principal residence or change the residential character of the property.
6. Home occupations shall be limited to professional or business offices or studios.
7. No more than two (2) customers, clients, or patrons shall come to the dwelling at any one (1) time nor more than five (5) in any one day.
8. All home occupations shall be conducted within the principal structure. Activities and storage associated with a home occupation shall not take place in an accessory building, such as a detached garage.
9. The home occupation shall not change the exterior appearance of the dwelling.
10. No storage or warehousing of material, supplies, or equipment is allowed outdoors on the residence.
11. Home occupations shall feature no exterior display or signage, no exterior storage of vehicles, equipment, including unlicensed equipment or materials, and not open lot storage.
12. Home occupations shall be engaged in only by the resident on the premises.
13. No equipment or process shall be used in such home occupation that creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, or odors.
14. No traffic shall be generated by such home occupation in greater volumes than would normally be expected in a residential neighborhood, and any need for parking generated by the conduct of such home occupation shall be met off the street and other than a required front yard.
15. A maximum of one (1) commercial vehicle with up to one (1) attached trailer for a home occupation may be parked or stored at the residence.
D. Permitted Uses. The following are examples, but not an exclusive list, of uses permitted as home occupations:
1. Personal offices.
2. Beauty/barber parlors.
3. Dressmaking, millinery, sewing or tailoring.
4. Photography study (limited to one (1) client at a time).
5. Cake making or decorating.
6. Artist or craftwork such as pottery, sculpting, or jewelry-making, with no sales permitted on the premises.
7. E-Commerce, computer internet usage for commerce, service, or consulting with no sales.
8. Teaching or tutoring, including musical instruments or dance, when limited to no more than five (5) pupils at a time. Any more than five (5) pupils requires a special use permit.
9. Day care limited to no more than five (5) children/adults.
10. Yoga instruction/massage therapy (limited to no more than one (1) client at a time); must provide license for massage therapy.
11. Other similar uses that keep the residential character of an area, as determined by the Director.
E. Prohibited Uses. The following uses shall be prohibited as home occupations:
1. On-site retail.
2. Repair, service, and painting to include vehicles, lawn equipment and appliances.
3. Catering or commercial bakeries.
4. Tool, equipment or vehicle sales or rental.
5. Veterinary clinic/hospitals, kennel or stable.
6. Physicians, dentist, and chiropractors.
7. Funeral parlor and undertaking.
8. Food vendors, caterers, or restaurants.
9. Other uses with similar impacts to the residential character of an area, as determined by the Director.