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Commissioners propose 'Handcraft Industries' code definition to allow small artisan production in mixed-use zones
Summary
Planning commissioners reported a draft code amendment that would define "Handcraft Industries" to permit small-scale artisan production with a retail requirement in mixed-use districts; the proposal responds to earlier public comment asking to add 'craftsman' as a recognized use.
Commissioners reported a draft revision to the town's land-use code to create a new definition, "Handcraft Industries," intended to allow artisan-production businesses in mixed-use districts under a limited size and retail-floor-area requirement.
The proposed language, described by a commissioner during member reports, would replace the existing definition for "Handcraft Industries and Small Scale Manufacturing" with a new definition that limits such businesses to 1,500 square feet or less and requires a retail area that makes up at least 60% of the unit's square footage. Under the draft, Handcraft Industries would be listed under manufacturing uses in the land‑use table and would be a permitted use or subject to a use permit in CMU, DMU and NMU districts (commercial, downtown and neighborhood mixed‑use zones), the report said.
The item was raised in response to public comment early in the meeting from Jeanne McCarthy of McCarthy Sign Company, who said she and other local makers need a zoning category that allows people to both work and live in small artisan spaces. "So I'd like to help out with adding the word craftsman. That is not in the zoning map usage," McCarthy said at the public‑comment period.
Commissioner report and next steps: The commissioner report said two commissioners met with Vice Chair Gough and a planner named Laura to draft the language and recommended that the draft be forwarded to the town attorney and planning staff for formal review and placement on a future council agenda. No formal ordinance or resolution was before the commission at the meeting; the discussion was a commission-member report on proposed code edits.
Why it matters: The proposed definition aims to give clarity to small-scale artisan and craft operations that fall between home occupations and larger manufacturing, and to allow retail‑oriented artisan uses in mixed‑use commercial districts while restricting assembly-line or major manufacturing.
Outstanding details: The draft replaces references to "cottage industries" (which the report said lacks a formal definition) and would modify cross-references in the code. Commissioners discussed that the change is intended to welcome makers who also operate a retail component, but the report did not include an implementation timeline or an official ordinance number. Staff contact was suggested for further information.
