Council discusses limiting outdoor activity for home occupations, seeks balance between objective rules and flexibility

The council held an extended study session Oct. 7 on proposed changes to the city’s home-occupation code. Staff presented draft amendments intended to replace the current vague standard — which prohibits changes that ‘alter the residential character’ or cause adverse impacts — with clearer, measurable rules.

Two options for outdoor activity were the focus of debate. Option 2 would continue to prohibit outdoor activity associated with home occupations. Option 1 would permit limited outdoor instructional classes (for example art or small fitness classes) with constraints: up to eight participants per session, no more than two sessions per day and six per week, operating hours between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and no classes on public holidays. Staff said the eight-person limit reflected survey input from existing home-occupation operators and offered better enforceability than rules based on on-street parking counts.

Councilors discussed enforcement practicality (counting people vs. counting parked cars), noise standards, multifamily and property-manager responsibilities for resident behavior, and a proposal to create an urban-agriculture use category (allowing limited farm-stand sales and small-scale on-site production for lots of at least one acre). Some councilors favored keeping the prohibition; others favored a measured allowance (option 1) paired with objective conditions and data collection. Staff will present refined language to the planning commission, gather complaint statistics to inform enforcement thresholds, and schedule hearings (planning commission in November, council hearing tentatively in January).