Rules may ease for home businesses

City officials are studying a proposal to slightly loosen the restrictions on home-based businesses.

Currently, residents who run small businesses out of their homes are not permitted to use accessory buildings as office or work space. The most common accessory buildings in residential neighborhoods are garages. The ordinance includes garages attached to homes.

The reason for the restriction is obvious, officials say. Many residents would be dismayed if their neighbors opened auto repair businesses out of their garages, for example.

But some on the City Council think there could be room to ease the restriction in limited cases, and they've asked city staff to review home occupancy rules in other cities.

The issue was front and center at one of the Council's recent land-use committee meetings. Whittier resident April Schave has been active in a group working with the city to clean up the neighborhood. Through her involvement, she learned her own ! home business was in violation of the city ordinance.

Schave told Council members she runs a floral designing business out of her garage. She doesn't sell out of her home and delivers to a handful of regular customers.

"It is easier to work out of my garage, and it's more hidden to the neighborhood if I stay in my garage," she said.

Schave did research and found that many cities allow some use of accessory buildings for home businesses.

Planning officials are reviewing the matter. They are set to bring their findings to the Council in early January.

Shawna Goldammer, an urban planner with the city, has researched how other cities deal with the issue. While she's found no city that allows residents to do what they want, some do allow limited use of garages or other accessory buildings for home businesses.

Some cities are in line with Sioux Falls. Others allow accessory buildings to be used for specific businesses, and some restrict the ! amount of space that can be used for a business.

"It re! ally com es down to local community preferences," Goldammer said.

Reach reporter Jonathan Ellis at 605-575-3629.

By: Alan Lim

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