Council hears ideas to replace vague home-occupation standard with measurable limits

City planning staff presented a study session Tuesday on proposed changes to the City of Lake Oswego's home occupation regulations, seeking to replace a broadly worded standard that prohibits home occupations that "alter the residential character" or "infringe upon neighbors' peaceful enjoyment." Associate Planner Michael McNamee told council staff want measurable, enforceable standards that reduce ambiguity for license holders and code enforcement.

McNamee said there were 577 active home-occupation licenses in the city as of Jan. 1, 2025, and the city received about 157 responses to a staff survey. Staff proposed several concepts to replace the existing sub-criterion, including limits on the number of clients at the dwelling at any one time, restrictions on commercial vehicles (enforcement to focus on vehicles visibly marked with business logos), hour-of-operation limits or caps on…