Minutes 11-25-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ashley Moncado said the major home occupations would not be permitted in the rural buffer, only in the AR and R1 zoning districts. She said the major home occupations language was modeled after language currently used for minor home occupation. She said the standards for landscaping are currently in place with all home occupations in the UDO. Ashley Moncado referred back to the slide showing the balancing act of allowing and promoting the home based business while protecting neighbors and the rural residential character. Commissioner Price said the neighbors in a rural area may be 2 miles down the road. She said this language seems to make life more difficult rather than easier. She asked about the farm tour and whether this would be exempt like the arts tour. Ashley Moncado said the farm tour would be considered agri-tourism, which would allow it to be exempt from the special event process. Commissioner Dorosin asked if plumbing contracting is prohibited, and he asked what this means. He said it seems that the office portion of a home based plumbing business would be within the description of permitted occupations. He asked for clarification on what is prohibited by the contracting language. Michael Harvey said the purpose of the prohibition is to prevent creation of a bone yard in residential districts. He said this happens when you have storage of materials, and employees continually travel back and forth from the home site to pick up materials and vehicles for a job. He said this policy prohibits mass storage of plumbing supplies and equipment. He said he has personally allowed plumbing businesses to have a home office. He said this policy is not being modified with this proposal. Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarifications about home daycares. He said there are some people who provide daycare in their home, but it is not a formal business. Michael Harvey said there are several different categories of daycare, and there are different permitting processes associated with those activities depending on the number of children. He said anyone wishing to run a home daycare must fill out a zoning compliance permit with the County planning department. He said a floor plan must be provided to show where the children would be located, and documentation must be provided to show the existence of the necessary outdoor play area of 75 square feet per child. Michael Harvey said planning then coordinates with the health department to insure there is adequate septic to support the activity, and then a permit is issued. He said this is not treated as a home occupation; it is a listed permitted use of property, or a special use. Commissioner Dorosin asked if this would be true for a daycare with three students or less. Michael Harvey said the process would still have to be followed. Chair Jacobs followed up on the question regarding farm tours. He said his interpretation of page 5 is that any non-profit is exempt. Ashley Moncado said this is correct. Chair Jacobs asked about the use of accessory structures and the requirement for these buildings to look like a residential structure. He said that barns do not look like a residential structures and may be located half a mile from the nearest neighbor. He asked if the strict appearance and landscape requirements would apply even to this. Ashley Moncado said, based on this proposal, yes. She said those issues were not previously highlighted as a concern; therefore they were not addressed with the planning board. Commissioner Gordon referred to page 15 -2A and 2. She asked if a home occupation permit is required for a minor home occupation. Ashley Moncado said yes. Commissioner Gordon noted that some occupations are exempt. She asked if an event can be done without a permit.