The Chesapeake Beach Planning & Zoning Commission on Dec. 17 adopted amended language aimed at allowing limited home-based businesses while protecting neighborhood character and agreed to forward the changes to the Town Council for consideration.

The commission voted to revise the town's definition of "customary home occupation" to read: "A home occupation is a business or commercial activity that a permanent resident conducts within their residence, and which the use is clearly secondary to the primary use as a residence." Miss Franklin, the planning staff member presenting the item, told commissioners the change responds to repeated permit denials and a council request to address the land-use table within 90 days.

Why it matters: the rewrite creates a two-tier approach. Tier 2 (RV2), covering larger lots in the older section of town, allows a more flexible set of conditions — including allowance for one nonresident employee in limited districts and a cap that home-occupation space not exceed 30% of dwelling floor area. Tier 1 (RV1 and similar residential zones) will be more restrictive, intended to preserve the residential character of small-lot areas.

Miss Franklin summarized the proposal as a practical fix because "they just aren't allowed in any of the residential areas, and this is creating a problem because people are wanting to conduct their business in their home, which has no exterior impact." She also noted the council had asked the commission to review the land-use table and related definitions.

Commissioners debated several implementation details: whether to use "members of the family" or "permanent resident" (the commission chose "permanent resident" for clarity); whether the phrase "entirely within their residence" was too restrictive (the commission removed "entirely" to allow off-site client visits); and how to treat the allowance of "up to one additional unrelated person," which commissioners agreed should be clarified as a possible nonresident employee in specific districts.

Other specific provisions clarified by the commission include:
- Limit home-occupation gross floor area to no more than 30% of the dwelling floor area in certain zones (RV2).
- No outdoor storage of materials or products related to the business, and no visible product display from the street, except incidental items related to services.
- Nameplate signage limited to 2 square feet, illuminated only by indirect lighting under current commercial-zone language unless changed by council.
- Parking references were amended to point to the town's existing section 2-90-20 for base parking requirements; staff will ensure nonresident-employee parking is addressed consistently.

The commission also discussed uses that should not qualify as home occupations (restaurants, animal hospitals, or short-term rental operations) and agreed to cross-reference applicable code sections rather than attempt an exhaustive forbidden-use list in the home-occupation definition.

Outcome and next steps: the commission voted to approve the ordinance language as amended and to forward the package to the Town Council for formal consideration and adoption. Staff will prepare the edited language reflecting the commission's revisions and return it to council. No final ordinance or effective date was set at the meeting.

The Planning & Zoning Commission is expected to return with any clarifying updates as directed by staff and the town attorney; the council will receive the commission's recommended language for its next available agenda.