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PB-Memo_07-14-10 (4).pdf Item#8.c. Edmonds Planning Board Agenda Memo MeetingDate:July14,2010 AgendaSubject:DiscussiononHomeOccupations{File#AMD20100016} StaffLead:GinaCoccia,AssociatePlanner InitiatedBy:CityCouncilPlanningBoardCityStaff CitizenRequestOther:CS/DSCouncilCommittee BACKGROUND OnMay11,2010,theCommunityServices/DevelopmentServices(CS/DS)CouncilCommitteediscussedhowthe EdmondsCommunityDevelopmentCode(ECDC)currentlyrequireshomeoccupationapplicationstobeprocessed. TheCS/DSCouncilCommitteedirectedstafftosendthisitemthroughtothePlanningBoardforreviewthis ndabyfall(Attachment1).Thisitemwouldbeaproposedcode summersoitmaymakeitonthe/ƚǒƓĭźƌ͸ƭage amendmenttotheECDCwitharecommendationbythePlanningBoardtotheCityCouncil.Anopenrecordpublic hearingbeforethePlanningBoardistentativelyscheduledfor9/22. CURRENTPROCESSINGEXPLANATION TheCityreviewsandprocessestwotypesofbusinesslicenseapplications:thoseforgeneralcommercialactivity, andresidentialhomeoccupations.ECDC21.40.040defineshomeoccupationsasfollows:ͻIƚƒĻƚĭĭǒƦğƷźƚƓƒĻğƓƭ ğƓĻĭƚƓƚƒźĭĻƓƷĻƩƦƩźƭĻƚƦĻƩğƷĻķǞźƷŷźƓğķǞĻƌƌźƓŭǒƓźƷƚƩĬǒźƌķźƓŭƭğĭĭĻƭƭƚƩǤƷƚğķǞĻƌƌźƓŭǒƓźƷͲźƓĭźķĻƓƷğƌğƓķ ƭĻĭƚƓķğƩǤƷƚƷŷĻƩĻƭźķĻƓƷźğƌǒƭĻƚŅƷŷĻķǞĻƌƌźƓŭǒƓźƷͲźƓĭƌǒķźƓŭƷŷĻǒƭĻƚŅğķǞĻƌƌźƓŭǒƓźƷğƭğĬǒƭźƓĻƭƭğķķƩĻƭƭźƓ ƷŷĻƦŷƚƓĻķźƩĻĭƷƚƩǤƚƩğƭğƦƚƭƷƚŅŅźĭĻƒğźƌźƓŭğķķƩĻƭƭ͵ͼ TheHomeOccupationcode(ECDC20.20)waslastrevised 17yearsagounderOrdinance2951. WhenhomeoccupationapplicationsaresubmittedtotheCityClerk͸ƭoffice,variousdepartments(Fire,Planning, Building,Police,andEngineering)willreviewtheproposedscopeofworkandhowitcomplieswithapplicablecity codes.Thezoningcodeallowscertaintypesofhomeoccupationsinresidential(RSandRM)zonesasapermitted secondaryuse,subjecttospecificapprovalcriteria(nocustomersoremployeesarepermittedtovisitthe premises,noodor/dust/vibrationshouldbecreated,nostorageofbusinessmaterialsoutdoors,etc.).Aslongasa proposedbusinessmeetsthecriteriainECDC20.20,thePlanningDivisioncansignoffonthebusinesslicense ds.Businessesthatcannotmeetallofthebasichomeoccupationcriteria applicationasitrelatestozoningstandar requireeither(1)achangetotheirproposalsothattheycanmeetthecode,or(2)applyforandobtaina ConditionalUse(CU)permitapprovalthroughthePlanningDivision. Thestandardfeeforahomeoccupationbusinesslicenseapplicationis$100.However,ifaCUpermitandhearing bytheHearingExaminerisrequired,thefeeforthisprocessjumpstoapproximately$1,500.Thechiefcomplaint heardbythePlanningDivisionabouthomeoccupationrequirementsisthefee.Forexample,becauseofthecode criteria,evenifapianoteacherwantedtoteachonestudentoutoftheirhomeonetimeinagivenayear,a conditionalusepermitwouldberequired.Typicalconditionsimposedduringthepublichearingprocessinclude limitednumbersofcustomers,limitedhoursofoperation,anddeterminingifthereissufficientonsiteparkingto accommodatetheproposal. CityofEdmondsPlanningBoard Item#8.c. APPLICABLECODES ApplicableECDCsectionsincludeChapter16.20.010(B)(2)andChapter16.30.010(B)(2)whichallowhome occupationsasapermittedsecondaryuseinresidential(singlefamily&multifamily)zones.Chapter20.20isthe HomeOccupationchapter,whichprovidestheregulationsandoutlinesprohibitedhomeoccupations(Attachment 3).Also,the/źƷǤ͸ƭCommunitySustainabilityElementencourageslocalbusinessandreductionsintheĭźƷǤ͸ƭoverall greenhousegasemissions.Relevantpoliciesinclude: SustainabilityGoalE.Developeconomicdevelopmentpoliciesandprogramsdesignedtosupportandpromote sustainability.Encouragethecolocationofjobswithhousinginthecommunity,seekingtoexpandƩĻƭźķĻƓƷƭ͸ abilitytoworkincloseproximitytotheirhomes.Encourageandsupportinfrastructureinitiativesandlanduse policiesthatencourageandsupporthomebasedworkandbusinessactivitiesthatsupplementtraditionalbusiness andemploymentconcentrations. E.1Economicdevelopmentshouldsupportandencouragetheexpansionoflocallybasedbusinessand employmentopportunities. E.3Regulatoryandeconomicinitiativesshouldemphasizeflexibilityandtheabilitytoanticipateandmeet evolvingemployment,technological,andeconomicpatterns. E.4Landuseandregulatoryschemesshouldbedesignedtoencourageandsupporttheabilityoflocal residentstowork,shop,andobtainserviceslocally. POTENTIALALTERNATIVES WeseeacoupleofoptionsavailableifthePlanningBoardwishestostreamlinethepermittingofhome occupationsthatshouldlogicallyͷŅźƷ͸withinneighborhoodsettings.Onewaywouldbetoclarifythestandardsfor approvablehomeoccupations,suchasallowinghomeoccupationsthathaveonlyasingleoffsiteemployeeornot morethanonecustomercomingtothesiteperhour,andallowthemtobepermittedaspartofthenormalhome occupationreview. Anotheroptionwouldbetochangetheprocesssothathomeoccupationsthatrequiremorereviewarehandledas staffapprovedconditionalusepermitsratherthanaCUrequiringHearingExaminerreview(thiswouldreducethe feesfromapproximately$1,500toaround$500).Examplesofpermitsthatrequiresimilaradministrativereview bystaffincludeAccessoryDwellingUnitpermits(ADUs)andtreecuttingpermitsΑpublicnoticeisstillrequired, f(withthedecisionappealabletotheHearingExaminer).Asnoted, butthedecisionisultimatelymadebystaf whetheranapprovalismadeadministrativelyorbytheHearingExaminer,thepermitcanbeconditionedand thereispublicnotice. ThePlanningBoardmaywanttoreviewthecurrentcodesandprocessesrelatedtohomeoccupations,compare themtootherjurisdictions,anddetermineifanadministrativeCUreviewprocessismoreappropriatethanaCU permitthatrequiresapublichearingatthreetimesthefee.Tocompareandcontrastotherlocalcodes,visitthe MunicipalResearch&ServicesCenter(MRSC)athttp://www.mrsc.org/codes.aspx?r=1.Pleasereferto Attachment2foratablecomparinghowanumberofothercitieshandlehomeoccupations. RECOMMENDATIONBYSTAFF TheCS/DSCouncilCommitteehasrecommendedwelookatstreamliningourprocessandkeepingitsimple.Staff recommendsthatthePlanningBoarddiscussthisitemandoptionsforstafftodevelopinordertoproceedtoward apublichearingproposal. ATTACHMENTS 1.CS/DSMeetingMinutesΑ5/11/2010. 2.HomeOccupationMatrixΑComparingReviewProcesses. 3.Chapter20.20ECDC(HomeOccupations). CityofEdmondsPlanningBoard