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York County supervisors split on home‑based business rules; public hearing set for Sept. 17
Summary
Supervisors debated proposed changes to the home-based business ordinance—removing a prescriptive list of allowed uses in favor of limits on people and parking—raising concerns about visibility, enforcement and childcare; staff will advertise language for a Sept. 17 public hearing.
York County supervisors spent the evening of Aug. 6 debating proposed changes to the county's home-based business ordinance and directed staff to advertise revised language for a public hearing set for Sept. 17.
Planning staff summarized the existing ordinance: home occupations must be resident-occupied, limited to 25% or 400 square feet (whichever is less), must not generate additional traffic by right, and must keep on-site parking 10 feet from property lines. Uses that involve customer contact or nonresident employees generally require a special-use permit under the current code.
The home-based business committee's proposal would remove the long prescriptive list of permitted uses and instead control intensity by limiting the number of people on-site (committee proposed up to four people total—residents, employees and customers combined) and requiring all parking to be on the property. Anything exceeding those thresholds would require a special-use permit.
Several supervisors supported keeping customer-facing, visible businesses subject to the special-use process so neighborhoods receive notice and can comment. One supervisor urged that any operation that is "visible" to neighbors'for example, by deliveries, signage or frequent customer traffic'should come to the board. Another raised enforcement concerns: roads are public, so curb parking is difficult to restrict, and code enforcement is largely complaint-driven.
Citizens'summarized by staff'urged that home occupations be kept "invisible" and warned that small fines may be insufficient to deter repeat violations by profitable operations. Staff also discussed comparisons with neighboring Chesapeake County's rules and said the draft could increase by-right allowances for low-impact activities while reserving special use for visible commercial activity.
Board members asked staff to draft language that clarifies "visibility," refines the four-person limit and tightens parking and enforcement provisions. Staff was directed to prepare draft ordinance language for advertisement and an advertised public hearing on Sept. 17; the clerk explained advertising deadlines and the two‑Monday pre‑publication requirement.
No final ordinance vote was taken; supervisors agreed that staff should return with clean, advertised language that can be discussed at a public hearing and tabling remains an option after public comment.
