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Local baker urges Zephr Hills to drop enforcement of cottage‑food sales and clarify rules
Summary
Caitlyn Hodgeges told the council that code enforcement has repeatedly visited her home bakery and asked the city to dismiss the case and clarify rules that she says protect cottage food sales under Florida law. City staff said their interpretation requires sales from the residential dwelling, not a separate roadside stand.
A young local baker whose business operates from her home asked Zephr Hills council on June 8 to dismiss a pending enforcement case and change local rules she said target small, lawful cottage‑food operations.
"...there is a difference between a nuisance and a mother baking from her kitchen," Caitlyn Hodgeges told the council. Hodgeges said she runs Flower and Glow, a cottage‑food business selling pre‑ordered bread and pastries for on‑site pickup and that repeated code‑enforcement visits have made the family feel "watched." She delivered a petition signed by nearly 100 supporters asking the city to drop the case or amend the ordinance to better accommodate families working from home.
Council members questioned the logistics of the operation and staff said the city received a neighbor complaint that triggered review. City staff and the city attorney described the city's current interpretation of state and local code: Florida’s cottage‑food statute limits how municipalities may regulate cottage food activities, but the city’s interpretation — based on its code and the county’s right‑of‑way concerns — is that sales must occur from the residential dwelling rather than from a separate stand or cart built up against a fence and visible from the street.
"It has to be sold from the residential dwelling unit...not a separate stand that's built up against the fence," the city attorney said, explaining the city's reading of the statute and the local ordinance. Staff pointed to concerns about customers crossing sidewalks and city right‑of‑way to reach a fence‑line cart.
Several residents, including Susan Hodgeges, said similar stands exist in adjacent jurisdictions with more lenient enforcement. Council members encouraged the resident to meet with staff and her attorney to explore acceptable ways to operate (for example, garage pickup or strictly pre‑ordered off‑street arrangements) and staff agreed to revisit the case's facts and the city's enforcement approach.
The council did not take immediate formal action to dismiss the enforcement case; instead members recommended that the resident and staff meet to find a compliance path or policy clarification. Councilors noted that the statute contains gray areas and said staff would follow up with clarifying guidance.
