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Board backs MPC 'no‑impact' home‑occupation language, sends 'low‑impact' ideas back to planning commission
Summary
Staff recommended adopting Municipal Planning Code 'no‑impact' language for home occupations; the board agreed to update the ordinance accordingly and to refer any 'low‑impact' home‑business provisions back to the Planning Commission for further study and drafting.
Staff presented a memo proposing updates to the township’s home‑occupation rules (chapter 12), including insertion of Municipal Planning Code (MPC) 'no‑impact' home‑based business language. The MPC wording would formally allow certain accessory businesses that generate no neighborhood impacts without requiring a zoning permit.
Board members discussed whether to also create a separate 'low‑impact' category for businesses that generate some customer or employee trips (examples raised included babysitting, barbers, accountants or small‑scale professional services). Several supervisors expressed concern about traffic and neighborhood impacts from higher‑impact uses and said they would prefer the planning commission to draft low‑impact definitions if the board wants them considered.
The board by consensus asked staff to move forward with MPC no‑impact language and to return any proposed low‑impact language to the Planning Commission for refinement. Staff noted the change is intended primarily to bring the township into alignment with state MPC requirements and to clarify distinctions between 'work from home' and 'home occupation.'
