2003-1158-Minutes for Meeting July 22,2003 Recorded 8/12/2003COUNTY OFFICIAL
TES
NANCYUBLANKENSHIP, COUNTY CLERKS Q 2003-+151
COMMISSIONERS' JOURNAL 0811212003 03:47:42 PM
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2003,-1158
DESCHUTES COUNTY CLERK
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Deschutes County Board of Commissioners
1130 NW Harriman St., Bend, OR 97701-1947
(541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 388-4752 - www.deschutes.ora
MINUTES OF PUBLIC HEARING
ON
PROPOSED HOME OCCUPATION ORDINANCE
DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
TUESDAY, JULY 229 2003
Commissioners' Hearing Room - Administration Building - 1130 NW Harriman St., Bend
Present were Commissioners Dennis R. Luke, Tom De Wolf and Michael M. Daly.
Also present were Catherine Morrow, Tom Anderson and Damian Syrnyk of
Community Development; Laurie Craghead, Legal Counsel; and nine other
citizens. No media representatives were present.
The purpose of the meeting was for the Commissioners and staff of Community
Development to take public testimony regarding a proposed home occupation
ordinance.
Chair Dennis Luke opened the meeting at S: 32 p. m. He asked that anyone who
wishes to testify or who might have a question, or anyone who wishes to be on the
mailing list, to please sign in and be sure to come to the front to use the
microphone. (A copy of the sign -in sheet is attached as Exhibit A)
Commissioner Luke explained this is not a formal land use hearing; it is a public
discussion, and no decision would be made at this time.
Damian Syrnyk gave an overview of the handouts that have been made available to
the members of the audience. (Copies are attached as Exhibits B, C, D and E.)
SYRNYK:
As Commissioner Luke mentioned, this is a public hearing on some proposed
changes to the Deschutes County zoning ordinance. This isn't like a public hearing
you may have attended on a land development proposal, where there are some
strict rules on talking with the Commissioners, or testifying on criteria.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 1 of 59 Pages
This is called a legislative matter. We're actually considering changing the laws
that would apply to home occupations in unincorporated Deschutes County.
This is the second public hearing for the Board, and the Board's fourth meeting on
this matter. This is a project that the Planning Division began in the fall of 2002.
We began with a public hearing in front of the Planning Commission in November,
trying to get some input from folks on whether the County should entertain looking
at changes to our regulations on home occupations.
Right now, under our current zoning regulations, home occupations are allowed as
a conditional use in most zoning districts. That means anywhere you might see a
house as a permitted or conditional use, a home occupation might be allowed with
what is called a conditional use permit.
We have certain zones in unincorporated communities such as the residential
districts of La Pine, Tumalo and Terrebonne where a certain type of home
occupation is allowed without any kind of a conditional use permit, if you fall
within certain parameters. And so the purpose of tonight's hearing is to start
looking at changes that started developing before the Planning Commission, and
that the Board considered at their last hearing in April; and have gone through
some changes after work sessions that the Commissioners held in May and June.
I wanted to point out that there are certain types of home businesses that wouldn't
be affected by this ordinance, that are already described in the zoning code as
having their own approval standards and definitions. These include things like bed
and breakfast inns, family childcare providers, churches, schools, and residential
homes and adult foster care.
LUKE:
The reason for that is that they are covered under state law, and usually have an
exemption because of that state law. Is that true?
SYRNYK:
Some of them do, like residential homes and facilities, and family child care
providers. Other uses, like bed and breakfast inns, the County has built its own
standards for issuing permits for those kinds of uses.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 2 of 59 Pages
So this is a category that is supposed to capture businesses that are either run out of
the home, may or may not have employees coming to the property, and may or
may not have customers that actually travel to the property. We are going to be
talking about a gamut of different types of home occupations under this ordinance.
One of the things that we tried to do is provide enough notice to folks to let them
know that the Board was having this hearing tonight.
Over the meetings and hearings that we've had, we've maintained a mailing list and
we did mail notice everybody who was on our list. I've also maintained a gang e-
mail list of folks who have corresponded with me by e-mail, and I tried also to
send them a notice by e-mail. We did have it noticed in the Bend Bulletin, and
then our Communications Coordinator, Anna Johnson, was kind enough to help me
do a press release. That was on our website, and I think I also saw it on bend.com.
LUKE:
Did the Bulletin print the news release?
SYRNYK:
I don't know if they did. I also saw a brief article in the latest issue of the Cascade
Business News.
What I wanted to get to now is to start talking about what is before the Board right
now, and really the nuts and bolts of what is before the Board in terms of material
this evening.
As I mentioned earlier, we have two kinds of home occupations under our zoning
code. What is proposed before you is to increase that to three. The new type of
home occupation that is proposed is called a type 2 home occupation. This is
something that I heard in testimony before the Planning Commission, because right
now under our rules there are certain cases where you don't need a permit; and then
the other extreme, if you will, is a permitting process that might involve a six week
application process, maybe a public hearing, and a fee of about $1,000.
So the Planning Commission wanted to create a middle category that would allow
folks to have a limited number of customers coming to their property. The
Planning Commission did want to include changes that would allow employees;
but also more clear and objective standards and a shorter administrative review
process for things that wouldn't necessarily have impacts on the neighbors.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 3 of 59 Pages
As part of the whole proposal, what we are proposing to do is relocating our
standards for home occupations into one section of the code, so that no matter
where you are reading - if you looking at the rural residential zone or an exclusive
farm use zone - it would all point to one section, and that would be the one place
that you would go to find what you need, depending on the type of home
occupation.
What I want to do right now is refer folks to the staff report, which is the white
document. Starting on page 2, I wanted to go through and highlight some of the
issues that have changed since the last Board hearing.
LUKE:
Does everybody who wants one have a copy of that document? Okay.
SYRNYK:
I would also like to highlight some areas where I'm still looking for some direction
from the Board and from everybody who is attending this evening on whether this
is the right way to go. Or, if there are proposals for changing it, what those
proposals are.
I also wanted to point out that even though I've highlighted certain issues in the
staff report, since this is a public hearing and the Board hasn't made any final
decisions on certain elements, everything is up for discussion, including the three
types, the standards under those types, and how the standards are written.
LUKE:
Or if you need the ordinance at all.
SYRNYK:
That's still an open question. In terms of options before the Board, you could adopt
the regulations as proposed; you could adopt them with changes; or you could do
nothing and retain the current standards that we have in our code. You could use
some of these standards that are before you tonight and include them in the code;
or you could tell me to do something completely different.
The first one I wanted to talk about tonight is what is called the Type.1 home
occupation.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 4 of 59 Pages
LUKE:
Could I have a point of clarification? You mentioned that in Tumalo and
Terrebonne, some of these things are already allowed. Is that because of some of
the things we adopted previously when we did the unincorporated community
stuff? Would these changes then affect them; would it supercede what we did
before?
SYRNYK:
They would change what is already in our code in those communities. During the
late 1980's, Deschutes County adopted zoning for the communities of La Pine,
Tumalo, Terrebonne, Alfalfa, Sunriver, Black Butte Ranch, and the Inn of the 7 1
Mountain. Anyway, the zoning regulations treat them as unincorporated
communities, as opposed to like a rural service center or destination resort
community.
And in several of the residential districts in those areas, there's a type of home
occupation that is allowed outright, provided that it is limited to 25% of the square
footage of the dwelling; there are no customers, and no employees. And it was
really intended to capture somebody who might be working out of a bedroom, for
example. That formed the model for what we are looking at under this proposal
for a Type 1 home occupation.
There are a couple of changes that are departures from what we already got in our
code. One is that under a Type 1 as proposed by the Planning Commission,
somebody would be allowed a limited number of trips every day. Right now the
proposal before the Board is no more than five trips per day, for the occasional
visits by customers.
One of the changes that we made in the ordinance after the last hearing and the
work sessions is changing where a Type 1 home occupation could be carried out.
As proposed, it was limited to somebody's dwelling. The proposal that is before
you would change that to either a dwelling or someone's residential accessory
structure, such as a garage or a shop.
Another change that is before you relates to employees. Under Type 1, no one
could have employees travel off-site to their property to report to work. One of the
suggestions that we heard, I believe at the last work session, was to not prohibit
businesses where people might have employees who work off-site, or maybe work
out of their own home, and correspond with their employer through e-mail and the
phone and the mail.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 5 of 59 Pages
Finally, I think the last change that was made with respect to Type 1 was this
elimination of the floor area maximum that is currently in the code. Under our
current zones, say in the residential districts of La Pine, for example, a home
occupation can be limited to no more than 25% of the floor area of the dwelling.
Staff understood that the Board wanted to eliminate that standard, given the limited
scope of what is proposed under Type 1 and who might be using it.
The second category that we'll be talking about tonight is this Type 2 home
occupation. As I mentioned, this is one that the Planning Commission had
proposed as a conditional use, but would be subject to different standards and
processing requirements than our current requirements for a conditional use permit.
There are several issues that I want to touch on that are listed on page 3 of the staff
report. One of the things that has come up, and I'm looking for some direction
from the Board, the requirement for a minimum property size. Right now, as
proposed, in order for someone to make an application for a Type 2 home
occupation, their property would have to be at least a half -acre in size.
One of the changes that was made in the proposal before you was the elimination
of a discretionary standard; that's under item number 2. This was one that was
originally included, and is in our code right now for a conditional use permit; but
staff is proposing to delete that standard since most of the standards for a Type 2
home occupation tend to be more clear and objective. And we've retained more of
the discretionary standards for Type 3 when we are looking at a home occupation
that might involve the exercise of some kind of judgment.
One of the issues that came up under Type 2, like Type 1, is the issue of floor area.
We are proposing a clarification on floor area so that it's clear that if you are using
a portion of your home, and maybe your garage or accessory building, there's a cap
of 1,500 square feet. That was an original proposal of the Planning Commission,
but what we are proposing tonight is a clarification so that it is a little bit more
clear.
One of the issues that has come up in looking at Type 3 home occupations, as well
as Type 2, is a limitation on daily vehicle trips. Under Type 2, there's a maximum
number of trips, ten trips per day to the site, not including parcel deliveries, for
example from UPS or FedEx. So one of the things that we are requesting your
direction on is whether we should keep this standard in the proposal, or if it should
be more discretionary and looked at on a case-by-case basis.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 6 of 59 Pages
Finally under Type 2, and this is a section that we did change a little bit after the
hearing and work sessions, there's a list of excluded uses that would not be eligible
under a Type 2 home occupation application.
DALY:
I looked for that list, and I couldn't find it.
DEWOLF:
Page 2 of 3.
SYRNYK:
If you look under the Board hearing draft, the top of page 2 under "N". There are a
couple of changes I wanted to highlight. One was that staff had deleted catering
from this list, based on the last work session.
One of the issues that came up was an original standard of 10,000 pounds of gross
vehicle weight rating for certain businesses that use vehicles of that size. We had
some testimony from a gentleman whose own truck exceeded 10,000 pounds of
gross vehicle weight rating. To address this issue, I did some research on current
personal vehicles that somebody might use for their business or personal use.
I looked at several models of trucks that were anywhere from 11,200 pounds to
11,600 pounds, gross vehicle weight. If the Board decides to exclude certain uses
under Type 2 based on the type of vehicles they use or the size of equipment, then
you can decide whether the standard would be appropriate. If you do, staff
recommends using a 15,000 pound standard, simply to account maybe for
increases in size over time, so that no one is caught with a personal vehicle falling
under this ordinance.
Again, there's no need for a standard if the Board decides that they don't want to
exclude anything from under consideration as a Type 2, and want to rely on the
standards that are proposed right now.
LUKE:
Things change. I mean, who ever thought you were going to have the pickups that
they have now. Would it be worth taking a look at the difference between a
commercial licensed rig and a personal use rig? Instead of having a gross vehicle
weight, an exception between a personal vehicle and a commercial vehicle. I'm
just asking. Because if you have to revise your code to change the weight, that
doesn't make any sense.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 7 of 59 Pages
DEWOLF:
I'm just talking out loud like you are. I don't know that changing it if something
changes fifteen years from now, if it is that big of a deal. Part of what would be
allowed here, it seems to me, are commercial vehicles.
LUKE:
Not commercial licensed vehicles.
DEWOLF:
Why not? If they are not creating the number of trips, the number of employees,
and a nuisance to their neighbors.
DALY:
I think the only commercial licenses that Oregon has is PUC licensing. You either
have PUC's, which is a certain weight category, or you don't.
DEWOLF:
I guess what I am hoping is that after we get through this tonight that we will get
closer to settling on something. I guess what I am recognizing is that this is more
art than science. And what we are trying to do is create something that works for
people and keeps neighbors off each other's backs, and recognizing that we may
have to modify this a year from now, due to unintended consequences.
SYRNYK:
I think the Planning Commission recognized that, too. They got to a point where
they felt they had something that was worth going to the Board with, to get your
input and initial public input. But they also recognized that this is going to be
something that we'll have to monitor as people operate and come in for permits,
and see how it works.
But I think the question of this standard for vehicles is valid. Going back to what I
said a moment ago, if the Board decides to look at adopting the proposal for Type
2 with some kind of listed excluded uses that might have to go through a Type 3
home occupation process, we can certainly do more research on this. If you decide
not to, and rely on the standards that are already there, then it's one less step to
take.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 8 of 59 Pages
The final use that is proposed under the ordinance, the Type 3 home occupation, is
proposed as a conditional use, and is essentially what we have in our code right
now with some modifications. One of the major changes that the Planning
Commission is proposing is allowing employees under a Type 3 home occupation.
That starts on the draft, pages 2 and 3.
That's actually a good segueway, because one of the issues that generated a lot of
discussion is some of the property size requirements under Type 3. One of them is
related to employees. If you look at the proposal before you, you can have a
greater number of employees if you've got EFU or forest zoning, and you've got
twenty acres or more.
If I remember correctly, after the last hearing and before your May work session,
staff had prepared a questionnaire for you to respond to that addressed this issue of
employees. The Board did want to consider allowing employees as part of the
changes to the home occupation ordinance. If you are still thinking in that same
direction, the next question to answer is whether we should be looking at allowing
employees as proposed under Type 3. And that might be predicated or related to
whether somebody has a certain amount of land.
Another property size requirement that is under Type 3 is related to outside storage
of equipment and materials. Right now, the proposal before you is twenty acres.
But I think we also heard some testimony that maybe it could be smaller if we use
setbacks or screening. So that is one thing to consider as part of the overall review
of the ordinance tonight.
The last thing that I wanted to highlight under Type 3, and this is related to
something we talked about under Type 2, is parking of business vehicles. If the
Board decides to adopt a standard for that under Type 3, what we are
recommending is increasing that gross vehicle weight standard from 10,000 to
15,000 pounds, as proposed under Type 2.
The Board could also look at using the outside storage requirements that are
proposed under Type 3.
LUKE:
Maybe we can get one thing off the table. I think we have to up the gross vehicle
weight to at least 15,000 pounds, because many personal vehicles are that.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 9 of 59 Pages
DEWOLF:
The kind he drives is; the kind I drive isn't. But I have no problem with that.
LUKE:
The recommendation of the Commissioners is to raise the weight to 15,000
pounds, if we pass this.
DALY:
Let's clarify this 15,000 pounds.
DEWOLF:
That's before you get into the vehicle.
DALY:
What I'm saying is, we had testimony last time that the guy's F-350 pickup weighs
more than 10,000 pounds. If we raise that to 15,000, then most of these medium
size or larger pickups would be legal to actually drive home. Are we going to
allow it to just be parked there? What is the reason for the classification?
Under Type 2, what the Planning Commission was trying to get at is allowing
certain classes of businesses that might have very little impact, but they might have
employees or customers, under Type 2.
One of the things that they considered was excluding businesses that use vehicles
and heavy equipment. The purpose behind looking at a gross vehicle weight rating
is that the rating would include the weight of the vehicle plus the weight of the
passengers and the cargo it could carry. Say, it's all loaded up with people and
material.
DALY:
What if it has a trailer?
SYRNYK:
I don't know if I have an answer for that. The gross vehicle weight rating would
include people and everything in the truck. If the Board wanted to look at gross
vehicle weight rating and whether that 15,000 pounds was still enough, we would
have to look at if that would include a trailer, for example.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 10 of 59 Pages
DEWOLF:
Would the trailer be empty or full? I mean, we could get this so detailed that we
will begin to look like the Bend City Council here.
DALY:
I agree.
LUKE:
We are talking about the gross vehicle weight of the vehicle being driven. The
trailer is a separate issue.
SYRNYK:
Going back to your question about the trucks, I mean the idea is that these
standards only apply if somebody were to come in to apply for a Type 2 home
occupation. They wouldn't regulate somebody who just drove their own truck and
didn't use it necessarily for business purposes.
�:VVS
I see here that we are requiring a Type 2 home occupation to be conducted within
the house or accessory building by members of the family. We don't have a size
limitation on the accessory building. It has to be at least a half -acre property, is
that right?
SYRNYK:
Right below it, under C, there's a limitation on the combined floor area of the
dwelling, including any floor area of the garage and accessory building that can be
devoted to the business. And that is proposed with a maximum of 1,500 square
feet. So if somebody was proposing to operate a Type 2 home occupation, they
could use space in their house, maybe an accessory building like a shop and,
provided that the floor area of that space combined was 1,500 square feet or less,
they could be approved.
CATHERINE MORROW:
I think, to get back to your original question, under Type 2 you could have your
vehicle that you drove off site to run your landscaping business or your carpet
cleaning business, and as long as it was less than 15,000 gross vehicle weight, you
can park it outside. And you could have your office and store materials inside a
building as long as it didn't exceed 1,500 square feet.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 11 of 59 Pages
But, if you had a vehicle that you used in your business that you parked outside
that was greater than 15,000 pounds, then that kicks you into Type 3.
LUKE:
Or you have to park it inside.
DALY:
Okay. So vehicle size has a lot to do with whether you are a Type 2 or 3. That's
what you're telling me. And you just mentioned that if you got in your vehicle and
traveled to work off site, you aren't really a home occupation anymore, are you?
LUKE:
If your office is there and you are taking phone calls or orders there, and storing
equipment there, it's a home occupation.
DALY:
Then technically that could go back to a Type 1. So we're only concerned about
the size of the vehicle; is that what you are saying?
MORROW:
There are other requirements. You are Type 1 if you don't have any employees. If
you have a truck that you drive home every night and that's your only piece of
equipment, and you have an office in your home and you drive back and forth,
you're fine at Type 1. What kicks you into Type 2 is if you have employees, if you
have more trips that are generated by your business, through people or deliveries or
employees or whatever comes to your house. That's the distinction. If you just
have a carpet cleaning truck and you have clients calling you at home, and there is
no other thing than your truck parked in your driveway and it is less than 15,000
pounds, you could be a Type 1.
DALY:
Is Type 2 a conditional use?
SYRNYK:
Type 2 is. Type 1 would not require any type of permit from the County.
MORROW:
Type 2 would be an administrative decision.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 12 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
They would apply for a conditional use permit, but one of the goals of the Planning
Commission in looking at Type 2 is that the processing time would be less than
what we have right now, we would be notifying the neighbors but necessarily
having a comment period, and the fee would be significantly less than what they
are paying right now for a conditional use permit.
Before I forget, and before I open the hearing, I wanted to say that I placed a copy
of the public testimony from Tina Lyons to be presented this evening. (A copy of
this testimony is attached as Exhibit F.) And as part of the Board's packet for the
work session that you had on Monday, I provided you with all the letters and e-
mail messages that I have received from folks since the last hearing.
MORROW:
Excuse me. The other piece of material that you have received since Monday was
in response to a question that Commissioner DeWolf raised on Monday about
whether we were delaying code enforcement activity on any applications. We did
some research on that, and I sent you an e-mail with a table attached.
LUKE:
I have a question of staff. Places like Sunriver and Black Butte Ranch, and some
of our other subdivisions have CC&R's that regulate the activity in those areas. Do
these ordinances supercede those, as far as home occupations go?
SYRNYK:
They wouldn't supercede them. If somebody wanted to do a home occupation in
those communities, they would have to satisfy the requirements of the
homeowners' association and the CC&R's, plus our zoning requirements. Since the
last hearing I was contacted by Bill Peck, who, I think, is the director of
development with the Sunriver Owners' Association.
One of the things that I mentioned in my staff report is that he noticed home
occupations aren't listed in the residential or multi -family districts of Sunriver. If
the Board ultimately decides on allowing Type 1 home occupations as proposed, or
with some changes, he had requested that we add those as uses permitted outright
to the residential districts of Sunriver. I haven't received other communications
from the Black Butte Ranch Homeowners' Association, for example, to know if --
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 13 of 59 Pages
LUKE:
What about Woodside?
SYRNYK:
I don't think we've been contacted by Woodside.
LUKE:
There are some subdivisions that enforce their CC&R's more than others. I believe
from other issues that have been raised, we are not the enforcers of CC&R's. So if
a person meets all of the requirements of the County, then it is up to the local
homeowners' association to enforce their CC&R's, and the County will not enforce
those?
SYRNYK:
That's correct.
LUKE:
When we issue a permit, if they are in violation of, for example, Sunriver's
CC&R's, then it is up to the development to enforce their CC&R's.
The only rules that we have the ability to enforce are the ones that are actually
adopted by the County.
DALY:
If someone came in and was clearly in violation of CC&R's, we wouldn't issue a
permit, would we?
SYRNYK:
We wouldn't know if they were in violation.
CRAGHEAD:
Yes, we would issue a permit, because we don't have that in the criteria for
approval for any of our permits. And I don't think we can have that as a criterion
of approval.
DEWOLF:
Unless we adopt Sunriver CC&R's countywide as part of our ordinance.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 14 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
One of the things that Bill Peck sent me was a copy of the regulations, and they are
very similar to what we have right now under the proposal for Type 1. But, then
again, if we had somebody who was trying to apply for a Type 2 home occupation
in Sunriver, in order to do that they would have to meet the County's zoning
requirements plus whatever requirements are in the CC&R's for the Sunriver
Owners' Association, for example. Not for the County, but for themselves. They
wouldn't have to satisfy those requirements to get an approval from the County.
I did want to let folks know that they can testify at the podium or at one of the
tables. I'm going to move out of the way.
LUKE:
Before we take testimony, maybe we should see if there are individual questions
out there that staff could answer. This wouldn't preempt you from testifying, but
you may ask the question first. I see there are two of you. Why don't you both
come up. You can ask your question of staff before giving testimony, if you want.
WILLIAM KUHN:
Good evening. My name is William Kuhn, and I live in the Tumalo Winter Deer
Range, and I have a couple of questions.
Is there an application expense for each of the three types of home occupations?
Do you want me to go through all of my questions?
LUKE:
Why don't you; Damian can write them down and then answer them.
KUHN:
Is there an annual renewal process required for each of the proposed types? If not,
why not?
Is it possible that even more restrictive requirements be put on areas like the winter
deer ranges?
And then I had a question/comment, but I can wait.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 15 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
As proposed, Type 1 would have no fee, because it would be permitted outright.
So it therefore would not have any kind of an annual review fee. One of the
purposes of creating a Type 1 home occupation is that of the form of home
occupation someone could conduct without getting any kind of permit.
Type 2 is intended to have a fee, but that hasn't been set by the Board yet. The
goal was to have something less than the current fee for a conditional use permit
that we have now, which is about $1,040. That would be the fee for the Type 3
home occupation.
As part of the Planning Commission's recommendation, they wanted us to look at
creating some kind of annual renewal system to where, if we issued either a Type 2
or a Type 3 home occupation permit, there would be some kind of a fee. The range
of fees that we talked about might be $25 to $50, and would be used to notify the
applicant that it's time to renew their permit, make sure they are complying with all
of their conditions of approval, and make a record of that for our file.
It is also intended to perhaps cover a site visit, if that was required. I think if the
Board ultimately decides on including a Type 2 home occupation in the proposal,
then we would need to look at what the fee would be to cover the cost of
permitting, and also what the annual review fees would be for both Type 2 and
Type 3.
Regarding the winter deer range, that hasn't come up yet that I can recall, in terms
of looking at different standards for home occupations in areas that are protected
under a wildlife area combining zone like the Tumalo Winter Deer Range. That is
something the Board can consider in looking at the regulations that we have right
now. Much of those areas are zoned either exclusive farm use, forest use, or may
have rural residential zoning in place. One thing I wanted to point out is that in the
EFU and forest zones, a type 1 home occupation wouldn't be allowed per state law.
Per state law, a home occupation can only be allowed as a conditional use.
Right now, under state law, home occupations are a use that the County can only
allow as a conditional use. And that was also another purpose for looking at a
Type 2 home occupation. If someone is looking at doing something like that, and
they were in an EFU or a forest zone, there might be a shorter review process if
they were looking at a home occupation that might involve maybe a limited
number of employees, and maybe a limited number of customers.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 16 of 59 Pages
In an EFU zone or a forest zone, we could not allow a Type 1 home occupation,
one that would be permitted outright. If we allow any kind of a home occupation
in an EFU or a forest zone --
DALY:
What about farming?
SYRNYK:
Farming is already permitted outright.
looking at right here.
It wouldn't be covered by what we are
LUKE:
So, if I were a farmer with twenty acres, I couldn't have a separate home
occupation, Type 1, without going through a conditional use process, according to
state law.
SYRNYK:
That's correct.
LUKE:
I can have tractors, combines, pumps, and everything, but I cannot have --
DEWOLF:
You can't do somebody's toenails, but if you'd like to be a State Senator and fix
that, Mike and I can arrange that for you. (Audience laughter.)
SYRNYK:
I hear there's a position open.
DALY:
Nobody said that this stuff had to make sense, right?
SYRNYK:
We're just trying to make it work.
LUKE:
Any other questions?
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 17 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
Expenses, annual renewals, and the winter deer range.
LUKE:
There are restrictions in travel in the winter deer range for non-residents.
DALY:
You certainly couldn't have customers showing up at your doorstep.
LUKE:
Please look into that a little bit more.
KUHN:
Was there consideration for annual renewal for the three types?
SYRNYK:
For Type 2 and Type 3 only.
DEWOLF:
And this is something that either I wasn't paying attention to when it was brought
up, or I hadn't heard this before, because I didn't understand that we were talking
about an annual renewal. Essentially what we are creating is a business license.
They don't even have business licenses within the City of Bend.
SYRNYK:
The renewal would only be for the conditional use permit.
MORROW:
It was a recommendation by the Planning Commission.
DEWOLF:
But the renewal, we're not talking $1,000; we're talking ten bucks or something,
right?
SYRNYK:
Exactly. The Planning Commission didn't see the renewal process being a revenue
generator, but a process where we could contact somebody who got approval for a
permit, do a site visit if necessary, and see if they are complying with all of the
conditions of their approval.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 18 of 59 Pages
DALY:
My question would be, why would we worry about it if we don't have any
complaints?
LUKE:
A renewal is also an opportunity, if you do have complaints, to take a look at
whether they are operating under the rules that they're supposed to follow. If they
are not, it could be a basis for non -renewal.
DEWOLF:
But Mike has a good point. If they are out of compliance, that in and of itself is a
reason that you could be revoked on your conditional use permit.
LUKE:
But going through the complaint process sometimes takes a year or more.
DEWOLF:
It would anyway.
LUKE:
No, not if you are renewing every year. The most it could take is a year.
SYRNYK:
One of the things that I want to point out under Type 2 and Type 3, is that under
Type 2, one of the criteria is that it may be subject to an annual inspection. So if
someone is proposing something that is pretty innocuous, they might not need an
annual renewal. If it was something that was a result of some kind of code
enforcement action, it might be imposed as a condition of approval to make sure
things are operating as was originally approved.
Under Type 3, I believe it is a requirement if you are going this route, as there
should be some kind of an annual inspection.
LUKE:
I would like to point out that we are looking at an ordinance that allows things in
residential areas, where people have an expectation that this is their home, and
certain types of activities happen in residential areas, and we are proposing to
change the types of activities that occur in those residential areas. And I believe it
is important to take a look at that and see which ones might be appropriate for
some situations.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 19 of 59 Pages
This is still people's homes, and it is still their neighborhoods. And I think an
annual renewal makes sense for Type 2 and Type 3. It gives the neighbors an
opportunity, if things aren't being conducted like they are supposed to be, to step
forward.
DALY:
I see an annual renewal as being a bureaucracy, with more employees and an awful
lot of work. It may not be at the start, but I've got a feeling that as time goes on
and more permits are issued, we're going to end up -- I much prefer having a
complaint -driven situation rather than a required annual review or something like
that. When you get complaints, people come out and investigate those.
KUHN:
Commissioner Daly, if it is complaint -driven, where are the funds coming from to
pay for the inspection that would be required from the complaint. I'm not
criticizing the concept, but if there are not enough fees in your budget, where is it
going to come from.
LUKE:
Community Development is supported by fees, building permit fees, planning fees
and others, that are not related to code enforcement.
DALY:
They have a code enforcement budget obviously, and if more complaints come up
than they can handle, then they have to examine it during the budget process.
KUHN:
I'm just raising the question so that you are aware that this money would have to
come from someplace.
DALY:
I understand. I don't think that there are going to be that many complaints.
DEWOLF:
Trust me. When somebody got upset with their neighbor because they had a
basketball hook aimed out into the street, one of those kinds that sits on the sidewalk,
and they complained to the paper. We had about three hundred of those things; it was
the basketball hoop wars for a year, all complaint driven, and it drove the City's staff
absolutely nuts for an entire summer. You just want to shoot these kids.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 20 of 59 Pages
These complaints get started because they are mad at their neighbor, not
necessarily because of what they are doing.
TINA LYONS:
Is the legal counsel here for you or for everyone?
LUKE:
Legal Counsel is here to answer any general questions they can. You can ask the
Chair a question and I can ask Legal.
LYONS:
Mr. DeWolf, on Monday you asked about if the code enforcement was currently
enforcing the home occupation regulations as they now stand. Is that correct?
DEWOLF:
Yeah.
LYONS:
And Catherine Morrow e-mailed you an answer, and I was wondering if we could
know what the answer was.
MORROW:
I mentioned that Commissioner DeWolf had asked this question, if code
enforcement was delaying home occupation cases. And I inquired with Linda
Larsen, our code enforcement officer, and she said that there are four open cases
that have been open since the Board received the recommendation from the
Planning Commission, which was in February.
And, in fact, those are all of the cases in this calendar year that are related to home
occupations. And there are other code complaints on some of them. And I created
this table which I sent to the Board that describes those four cases. Linda also said
that any cases that were filed prior to the Planning Commission recommendation
she is just treating under the existing rules and proceeding with enforcement under
her normal procedures.
On these four cases, I put in this table the characteristics, whether they would be
allowed under the current zoning regulations, and whether they would be allowed
under the proposal. On one case a conditional use would be required. Under the
new zoning, it would be a Type 3.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 21 of 59 Pages
On the second case it appeared, based on the information that we had to date, that
the use was not permitted, and it wouldn't be permitted under the new proposal.
The third case would have required a conditional use under the existing regulations
and, depending on how many trips were generated by the business, it would be
either a Type 1 or a Type 2. And the fourth one was not permitted under the
existing regulations because it had employees and large vehicles; and under the
proposed zoning it would be a Type 3.
Based on this analysis when we met with Linda, we determined that there were
other code violations that she was pursuing on one of them. And one that would
not be permitted under either the existing or current rules, she was going to
proceed with enforcement on that because there wasn't any chance that the rules
would change to accommodate that.
And she is pursuing the building -related issues on one of the cases; and on the
other two she was just going to hold off and continue her regular caseload pending
the outcome of these proceedings.
LYONS:
That does answer my question, thank you. I have comments, but they can wait.
CAROL BRIAN:
My name is Carol Brian. I have a question about Type 3. The storage that you
related, is that a part of the 35% area? Even if you are able to store it inside, it is
limited to 35%, as proposed. Does that include storage? If you have several
large --
SYRNYK:
The outside storage wouldn't be included in that 35%. The 35% that is referred to
under 3-C would only refer to the combined floor area of the dwelling and any
accessory buildings. Under a Type 3, you could also have outside storage beyond
the 35%.
BRIAN:
Okay, if you had inside storage, would that be a part of that 35%?
SYRNYK:
If you had inside storage in a building, that would be part of the 35%.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 22 of 59 Pages
BRIAN:
And this is kind of rhetorical. In the old rules there are no limitations about 35%
or any of that. And if you had a fairly large parcel, forty acres or more, I am just
wondering why the need to now add that limitation.
Because this is the one that you are making people jump through all the hoops for,
the hearing and the whole thing. So if you say it's only 35% and they don't have
that, and it's not like they can build another building and then you've got it, it's
35%. I would think that there have been some permitted in the past that exceed
that.
I'm fairly certain that we have. One of the things that the Planning Commission
wanted to look at is trying to find some way to keep home occupations as home
occupations. And one way of looking at that was limiting the amount of floor area
that might be devoted to the business.
But this removes your ability to look at things on a case by case basis in that Type
3 when you are doing that, because, again, if you are looking at a very large parcel,
it doesn't matter. And it would have very little impact.
SYRNYK:
It is a tradeoff. It's a legitimate question because there's a tradeoff between looking
at something discretionary on a case by case basis, and trying to create a standard
that would be fair across the board. That's kind of a rhetorical answer.
And my other question is about Type 1. I'm just trying to understand. We had a
lot of discussion about the 15,000 pounds. I don't see a limit in here if you - with
no employees coming - drove your truck home and left it there, is that permitted in
a type I?
LUKE:
Yeah, if it's your personal vehicle.
BRIAN:
What if it is a commercial vehicle?
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 23 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
Under Type 1 that wasn't a consideration.
BRIAN:
I guess then it would be limited about the noise, with a truck running at 4 a.m.
DEWOLF:
Exactly.
If there wasn't a noise issue, it could be big; it's not a problem.
SYRNYK:
That's right. That was intended.
MORROW:
I want to clarify this, to make sure I understand it. If you had a business vehicle
and you were doing Type 1, it wouldn't be Type 1 if it were greater than 15,000
gross vehicle weight. Because that puts you into a prohibited use in Type 2.
BRIAN:
But it doesn't say it is prohibited in Type 1.
DEWOLF:
Give me an example of a business that would be non -intrusive on your neighbors,
so it would fit under a Type 1, but would require a vehicle that weighs over 15,000
pounds.
Well, I don't know. If you had a quiet vehicle that was big, maybe --
LUKE:
You could have a flatbed pickup that weighs more, and you go out off site with it,
and all you have inside your house is a phone. There are no employees.
DEWOLF:
So, a tow operator.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 24 of 59 Pages
MORROW:
Okay. My understanding of the levels in the Types 1, 2 and 3 was that as you
graduated from one to the other, they got more and more restrictive. And so I
think the intent was that if you had a vehicle that was related to your business and
it was over that weight, it is prohibited as Type 2.
LUKE:
Then you should spell it out in Type 1.
MORROW:
So that kicks it into Type 3. To make it clearer, to answer this question, I think the
answer is that it is not allowed in Type 1, in my interpretation of the way the code
is. We should clarify that.
BRIAN:
But Damian just said that was intended.
MORROW:
You raised a legitimate question that obviously needs clarification.
SYRNYK:
I think the clarification is the important part under Type 1. I was reading and
making a note, but I think it is a legitimate question because the Planning
Commission had looked at what would be some of the differences between a Type
2 and a Type 3. I think that highlights what might be a difference between a Type
1 and a Type 2.
DENIMS COLLINS:
I didn't catch it earlier, but is there a fee for Type 1?
SYRNYK:
No. No application.
COLLINS:
Why would you even want to apply, then, for a Type 1.
MORROW:
You don't have to. It's permitted outright.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 25 of 59 Pages
DEWOLF:
You just get to do it. If you are a writer and you've got a computer, you get to
write.
COLLINS:
Or a real estate person or whatever. Until you get a complaint, and then you'd have
to go get a permit. Obviously you don't want to advertise that very much.
SYRNYK:
The flip side of it is that if we do get a complaint, one of the possible outcomes is
that it might be investigated and our code enforcement officer might inform the
complaining party that this would be allowed as a Type 1 home occupation.
MORROW:
But if you exceed the standards that are listed, then the code enforcement officer
might say, oh, you have to come in for a Type 2, because you are generating too
many trips a day.
COLLINS:
Second question. What about, I don't understand all the zones and everything, an
MUA or forest zone, and EFU. How does the MUA zone fall into this?
SYRNYK:
One of the proposals for the overall package, if the Board decides to adopt
something like this, is staff is recommending that we add Type 1 home occupations
to the rural residential and MUA-10 zones. Those are rural residential zones that
are also exception areas. What it means is that we've gotten approval from the
state not to protect those for farm and forest uses, so we've got a little bit more
control over what we allow there.
One of the original recommendations that we made to the Planning Commission is
that we should allow that in the RR and MUA-10 zones.
MORROW:
So, currently, home occupations are listed in the MUA-10, but it is a full-blown
conditional use, and you're not allowed to do the Type 1.
COLLINS:
So it's different than the conditional use that you are talking about. There are a lot
of uses that you can do in an MUA-10, correct?
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 26 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
Yes.
COLLINS:
There are a lot of pretty substantial things that you can do and that are allowed.
Okay.
MIKE MCFARLANE:
On this conditional use, if you get a conditional use issued by Deschutes County
and there is a complaint on it, and you guys just pull this conditional use, is that the
way I'm taking this? That if you have a complaint on a conditional use, you just
lose your conditional use.
DEWOLF:
No. Let's say you and Frank are next door neighbors, and you've got a conditional
use, and he calls in a complaint. Somebody comes out and checks it out, and finds
out it is bogus, and you're just fine. The way the system is designed is to go out
and check out these to enforce the code. If there is compliance, there's no issue.
And if they are out of compliance, then there's a process to go through to get back
into compliance. That's our goal, to let people know what the rules are. If you are
willing to live within the rules, you're fine.
MCFARLANE:
Since I have no employees or anything, I don't remember exactly what I'm on, R -S
or R-5 or something. I have about thirteen acres. I still keep my equipment there
when I'm not on the jobsite somewhere. Is this directed at us? People with no
employees operating out of their homes? Should I even be worried about this?
CRAGHEAD:
When you say keep your equipment or vehicles there, are they over 15,000
pounds?
MCFARLANE:
I have nothing under 15,000 pounds.
CRAGHEAD:
That's the issue.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 27 of 59 Pages
MORROW:
You would be a Type 3, under this proposal.
MCFARLANE:
We have nothing under 15,000 pounds.
MORROW:
Oh, in Type 3, you can be over 15,000 pounds.
MCFARLANE:
I didn't read that, I guess.
DEWOLF:
What kind of business are you in?
MCFARLANE:
Excavation.
DALY:
That's the whole issue of why we are here. People like Mike and Dennis and some
of these folks back there. They are in these gray areas, and we wonder where they
are going to be when we pass this new thing. And that's what we are trying to iron
out here, just exactly --
DEWOLF:
Do all of these guys know it is your fault we're doing this?
DALY:
Oh, yeah.
MCFARLANE:
The other question I had was, to have a building to house this equipment in would
be, in round numbers, 100 feet by 60 feet wide. I could get everything I use in this
building. Except the County will not issue a permit to build any shop over 1500
square feet in the zoning that I'm in.
MORROW:
This code as proposed allows outside storage.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance P age 28 of 59 Pages
MCFARLANE:
That's what I'm interested in, outside storage.
MORROW:
It allows outside storage if it is over twenty acres, and you can have whatever size
equipment that you want, if you go through Type 3 approval.
MCFARLANE:
I don't have twenty acres.
DALY:
We're still discussing that. That's up in the air.
SYRNYK:
That's still up in the air.
FRANK PENNOCK:
I'm from Deschutes River Woods. I've got a question, because I know I'm going to
be asked this. Type 1 or Type 2 - you've got a business where you leave in the
morning and you come home in the evening. You've got a truck or a pickup truck.
Is this Type 1 or Type 2? Then if you hook a trailer to it -- and I'm talking about
landscape people, who have a trailer with their rakes and that kind of stuff in it --
what is this? Type 1 or 2?
SYRNYK:
That's an unanswered question yet. Because it could be either way, or it could be
Type 3.
PENNOCK:
No employees. Just themselves.
SYRNYK:
One option the Board can consider is allowing something like this under Type 1.
Other businesses of this type might fall under Type 3, if they need some kind of
outside storage. Another option you need to look at is modifying Type 2. There
are several options here before you.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 29 of 59 Pages
MORROW:
The issue of trailers. I believe that this is the first time this has come up, and we
haven't really addressed it. But the idea is that if they didn't have the trailer, for
sure they'd be Type 1, if the vehicle is under 15,000 pounds. We haven't clarified
the trailer issue.
PENNOCK:
I've got a neighbor up the street, and he leaves at 5 a.m., and he's got signs on the
side of his truck and I never see him until he comes home at night. That's Type 1.
LUKE:
We are now opening up the meeting for public testimony. (6: 40 p. m)
MIKE MCFARLANE:
Well, I've testified here, and have been to almost all of these meetings, and I'm sure
you guys are tired of listening to me. It seems to me like this is going to be a great
deal of added cost, no matter how you do this. My options, what I see so far, are to
go find twenty acres, go get some commercial ground, or just not bring my stuff
home. All of the costs are really considerably higher than what I can afford to do.
LUKE:
What would you like to see?
MCFARLANE:
I understand that there has to be places. But I think that there should be like on a
five -acre piece, screening can be trees or something that you can affordably build
that will screen. I just think the cost has to be something that a guy can afford to
live with.
LUKE:
Would you like to see a change in the size of the outside storage building, or
maybe the total square footage of covered building area?
MCFARLANE:
Or five acres. If you are offset from your neighbors, and it's not impacting them by
visual sight. If you had a row of aspen trees or several rows down a fence line, and
you parked your equipment by there, they shouldn't be able to see anything but the
trees, really. Or a fence or something, if that bothers them.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 30 of 59 Pages
What I am trying to say is, we still have to live where we are working out of. And
I understand that they need their space, too. I'm not saying that we should be able
to just run roughshod over everybody. I do leave at 5:00 in the morning, and my
road does not really impact anybody since it goes right out to the highway.
I just want to be sure that everybody realizes that we have some rights, too, by
owning this property. Anything that they do on this is going to cost us directly,
and indirectly it costs those people. If we are permitted, usually it turns into a deal
where it is a right to come inspect your place any time they want to, rather than a
complaint.
DEWOLF:
Can I ask a question? What do you do on your property, related to your business?
MCFARLANE:
Usually maintenance of my equipment. A lot of times I will have pipe left over
from a job, and I put it in a pipe rack; it's not just scattered. I have several buckets
that I don't use, and it takes up quite a bit of area. And once in a while you'll bring
home half a load of drain rock that you didn't use. It all takes space, but what are
you going to do with it otherwise? I have seven acres of pasture.
DEWOLF:
I need some help in understanding something here. I don't see anything in the
Type 1 that would impact this gentleman.
SYRNYK:
There are a couple of things I'll bring to your attention to think about. One is,
under Type 1 we haven't talked about storage, for example. And we haven't talked
about this issue of the size of vehicle, or if that should be an issue under Type 1.
This is something the Board can consider when looking at a Type 1 home
occupation.
DEWOLF:
It says what it is, within the dwelling. Well, other than maintenance, that is the
only thing I've seen, right? Is there something else I'm missing? Pipes, but look at
anybody's back yard. We all store pipes or 2 x 4's, or we take part of our fence
apart.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 31 of 59 Pages
Commissioner DeWolf, I understand that the way it is drafted you could interpret it
that way. And if that's the case, it obviously needs some additional clarification.
Because the intention of the Planning Commission with this recommendation was
that there would be no outside storage; that the whole business and everything
associated with it had to be inside the home and accessory dwellings. That's the
intention.
DEWOLF:
Okay. I'm not sure it says that.
MORROW:
The idea was that no one would know you are doing anything. The impact would
be the same as if you lived there and had friends come and visit, or UPS delivered
something to you occasionally. That obviously needs clarification.
DEWOLF:
So, let's clarify the way that you are explaining this. Then he is either a Type 2 or
a Type 3. If he is a Type 2, it has to be at least one-half acre in size. And he
doesn't have more than ten vehicle trips, he has adequate parking and access. What
is it that would keep him from being a Type 2.
MORROW:
It's the list of prohibited uses, which is that 15,000 gross vehicle weight. It kicks
him into Type 3.
DEWOLF:
And then in Type 3, where we knocked him out is we say it's a twenty -acre
minimum. And that's where I keep going back and bringing up this issue. If he's
got twenty acres but he builds within twenty feet of the property line, who cares if
he has twenty acres? The closest neighbor wouldn't be happy at all. With setbacks
you could satisfy this issue with a five -acre piece of ground.
C�
With a conditional use. One of the things I wanted to point out, is that under Type
35 "L", there are a couple of things regarding outside storage. One is the twenty -
acre size.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 32 of 59 Pages
The other is a more discretionary standard where someone would have to show that
they have adequate setbacks and/or screening. So if somebody had twenty acres,
they might not necessarily put it right up next to the neighbor's property boundary.
MORROW:
So there are two standards.
DEWOLF:
I continue to believe that we ought to have a third standard, and that is that this can
be modified with the use of appropriate setbacks.
MORROW:
You could just eliminate the acreage requirement altogether if think the screening
can be reviewed on a case by case basis.
DEWOLF:
Because by the same token, you get out into Boonesborough, which is 2-1/2 acres,
screening is probably not going to cut it. That's not all that big.
MORROW:
This is the proposal from the Planning Commission. And if you all think that the
size of the acreage is inappropriate and that screening, on a case by case basis, will
address the impacts, and with this conditional use, everybody gets notified before
the decision is made, that may be fine.
DEWOLF:
It seems more logical to me, because it allows -- it is still arbitrary and it is
subjective, but you are dealing with your neighbors and you are dealing with the
staff or the Hearings Officer. I think with twenty acres, we don't really address the
issue, unless we are dealing with setbacks. And if we deal with setbacks, then
twenty acres becomes irrelevant.
DALY:
I agree. You've got two votes for that. I live on five acres, and the issue is, my
neighbors on both sides of me are three or four hundred feet away. Five acres is a
big piece of ground. Twenty acres is ridiculous. There is no reason to have that
kind of a standard to do what Mike McFarlane wants to do. I mean, he's a one-man
operation, goes to work someone where else.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 33 of 59 Pages
MCFARLANE:
There's one other question. I've lived there for twelve years, longer than the
neighbors. Can you just grandfather me in?
DALY:
He's got a good point. There's an issue that we need to discuss.
LUKE:
John Tschunko? Did he leave?
(Mr. Tschunko, off microphone) I just want to be on the mailing list.
TOD GIRT:
I have basically the same issues as Mike McFarlane. I've been in my house in the
Terrebonne area for six years, and I have a five -acre parcel, and I also bought the
five next to it. I do have employees, five, but they don't report there. We meet at
the jobs, generally one or two will show up to grab a truck or a piece of equipment
or something.
You cannot see any part of my operation from the road, because of trees. We have
had no complaints from the neighbors. I have looked for commercial property, just
for the convenience of having everyone report to one place. But I'm looking at
$250,000 for something to run the operation out of. So it is just not feasible. I've
looked at Crook County, and I can buy a piece for $160,000, but then with travel
time, and I'd have to build a shop, it doesn't make sense for a company our size.
We can't compete if we have to do that.
DEWOLF:
How big is your property?
GIRT:
Five acres is what I'm using for the business. I think that the five acres would
work, with screening. You can't see anything from the road. Like Mr. Daly said, if
you are three or four hundred feet from your neighbors, it is a big piece of
property. That's basically all I have.
THOMAS BRAY:
I have a business that I want to start in my garage, but I want to see what goes on
with this. I have a couple of concerns. I live on an acre, and the business I want to
do is restore vehicles for myself and my father-in-law. Basically a body shop.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 34 of 59 Pages
LUKE:
One vehicle at a time?
BRAY:
One at a time. I have a 28 x 28 garage that I just use for storage right now.
LUKE:
If a person lives on an acre, keeps it inside the garage, and there's not a great deal
of customers, is that a Type 1?
SYRNYK:
Right now Type 1 doesn't address this. It raises a good question.
LUKE:
It's entirely inside, does it matter if he is working on his own car or someone
else's? It's not outside.
MORROW:
Could be.
CRAGHEAD:
May I ask a question? When you do your body work, are you using toxic paints or
anything that might cause an odor. That is one thing that is addressed in the Type
1.
BRAY:
I have plans, if I were to do this, I would have a spray booth with filters for both
inlets and outlets. I've talked to the DEQ, and they told me that their restrictions are
that if you are putting out more than 200 pounds of material per month. Then they
worry about the toxins. If it is less than that, they don't have a problem with it.
CRAGHEAD:
What about odor?
..,
My property is surrounded by jack pines, and I don't think the odor would reach
the neighbors. My father-in-law lives on one side, and the other piece is my
brother-in-law's. There's really not a lot of people, neighbors, in the area, that I
would have to worry about.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 35 of 59 Pages
DEWOLF:
But there are two things. One is, we couldn't make a determination because you're
surrounded by family. Maybe they will all get mad at you and sell and move. The
other piece of this is, what the Type 1 is, as I see it, the responsibility is kind of on
you. If you can do the home occupation that you want to do inside the accessory
building, and it's not generating trips, doesn't have employees and doesn't make
smells, noise, dust, and stuff that could bother the neighbors, you're good to go.
MORROW:
And you're not storing mufflers outside.
DEWOLF:
What that does is put the onus on you to make sure that you stay within that Type
1. But if you are out there with a welding torch at midnight, making a lot of noise,
and your father-in-law calls us up, you're in trouble.
: '7- m
So, with a Type l I could put a 3 x 3 sign out front?
DEWOLF:
No signs.
But I could advertise in the paper, though.
MORROW:
Yes.
DEWOLF:
But if you have four cars stored outside and we get a complaint, then it gets
expensive.
Personal cars? I have a'52 Chevy pickup of my own.
MORROW:
If you have cars backed up, waiting to get finished, that would be a problem. Type
2 specifically prohibits what he is saying. Maybe it should be eliminated from
Type 2.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 36 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
That's a good question, because maybe we should look at the exclusions under
Type 2.
DEWOLF:
As long as they are carried out within the buildings. But even Type 2 doesn't
allow any outside storage.
SYRNYK:
If the Board is thinking about this under Type 1, we recommend looking at the
exclusions under Type 2, under "N".
DEWOLF:
Here is where I see a little bit of a difference. The goal here in Type 1 is, nobody
knows. Type 2, people know, you have employees, which is different from one
person operating from the home. I think that the reason under Type 2, what we are
trying to get at is, this is still a residential area. What we are trying to do is to
protect the integrity of that residential area. So I'm not sure we want to eliminate
those out of hand.
•"•W
I think the reasoning about these prohibited uses was the perception by the
Planning Commission that these particular uses do generate noise, or have the
potential of generating noise and dust and those things.
DEWOLF:
So either they are a Type 1, because they haven't caused anybody problems. You
either fit because you really are unobtrusive, or you don't belong in a residential zone.
BRAY:
That sounds reasonable to me. The only question is, maybe you have a competitor
who finds out you are doing body work out of your garage, or restoration or whatever,
and turn you in. They want to get you shut down. If they make a complaint --
DEWOLF:
Our code enforcement officer comes out and sees that you are doing this entirely
inside, you don't have mufflers and radiators and other vehicles being stored
outside, you don't have a sign up, and you are doing everything so that your
neighbors aren't aware of it. And they say, you're fine.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 37 of 59 Pages
TINA LYONS:
I have a question for Damian. Did you say under Type 2 that before the
administrative decision is made on a conditional use permit, the neighbors will be
notified?
SYRNYK:
One of the proposals the Planning Commission made was to make this an
administrative process without prior notice. How that would work is someone
would make an application, and if it satisfied all the requirements and was
approved, we would be mailing notice saying that we've approved a home
occupation, subject to these conditions. One of the goals of having a Type 2 home
occupation is that if we do that, we'd have standards that are pretty clear and
objective, so someone would have something to look at if they wondered if the
neighbor was complying with the permit.
LYONS:
My neighbors just got a landscape management act review, and were approved. I
was sent a notice, and given ten days to appeal it if I chose, but I didn't want to.
But if I was out of town for two weeks, ten days would not have been enough time
for me to have appealed.
I wanted to thank Bonnie for posting the minutes of the meeting that I missed. I
brought an outline of the things I wanted to discuss. One thing that I don't think
has been addressed yet is that our garbage company sent us a flyer, and said that no
commercial or business waste, radioactive, medical waste or explosives will be
accepted. I'm wondering if you have thought about the garbage disposal issues of
home occupations.
DALY:
They may have to haul their own garbage.
DEWOLF:
Our intention is not to regulate the relationship between people and their garbage
haulers. Our intention is to try and quell difficulties that neighbors face with each
other. If the garbage company won't pick things up, that's their problem and they'll
have to deal with their garbage..
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 38 of 59 Pages
LYONS:
There's a potential for a home business to have waste products that the garbage
company wouldn't pick up. Does anybody notify the garbage company?
I &1J '14
What they are saying is that they don't take anything but household garbage, but
they do handle commercial; they just charge more. It's a great opportunity for the
garbage companies to charge more. The drivers know what's there.
DEWOLF:
If you try to hide a paint can in your garbage, you might get away with it. You
might not.
LYONS:
The second point, I really feel that we should think about the infrastructure of the
downtown core. I live in La Pine, and if home occupations are allowed, a lot of
people will move home and we'll have a lot of spaces for rent. And we're trying to
build the downtown core and the town.
DALY:
Some businesses depend upon a lot of traffic for their survival, and a home
occupation wouldn't depend on a lot of traffic.
LYONS:
Which brings me to my next point, which is that under the home occupations Type
1, everyone says it has no impact. I saw in the minutes of the work session how
Ms. Morrow said that no one knows what is going on because there aren't any trips
generated, maybe some subcontractors but you never see them. And my question
is, so everyone else except me agrees that five trips a day plus UPS is no impact?
Is that what everyone thinks?
DEWOLF:
Yeah. And I'll tell you why. I probably make five trips a day. And you probably
do. On average, people probably do. I think that having five cars come to a house
a day, no, it's not "no impact". It is an impact. Is it enough to trigger somebody to
not be allowed to be an artist in their home, or to redo cars on his own at home, and
he has to drive to town and buy something at the auto body shop? It's a pretty
minimal impact, five cars a day.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 39 of 59 Pages
MORROW:
Five clients a day.
LYONS:
If someone has a private residence and they have family coming and going, that's
rural residential living. You add to that five -- but maybe seven -- clients a day,
and a UPS truck. I have a business, and any business does get products, so there
are more deliveries. On top of their family trips. That, to me, is impact. And I
think it is impact to a lot of residential people.
DEWOLF:
And that's true. I'm just suggesting that it is impact. But if you and I live next to
each other, about five years ago when I had three teenage daughters, all with
driver's licenses, all with their own vehicles, and my wife and I each had a vehicle,
we're generating a lot of trips. Personally, I don't see that as a huge impact.
LYONS:
There's nothing I can say about the teenage trips. But you add five or seven more
trips on top of that, that is an impact. And when you live on a dusty road, that's a
lot of impact.
DEWOLF:
And maybe we'll never get to an agreement on this. I'm just suggesting that a
single individual living in a house is going to generate less trips than a family of
seven. And that's a fact. The single person with a business, with five trips a day, is
an impact; but it's still less than the family of seven.
We're talking about people's ability to live their lives, do unobtrusive things. If in
fact it is seven trips and not five, you have cause for complaint. Say it's a
hairdresser. And they have clients coming, and bring in ten clients a day instead of
five. That's a code violation, and they are no longer in compliance.
LYONS:
Then they say that two of those seven trips were my family. How are you going to
prove that they weren't?
DEWOLF:
This isn't a perfect world. We're hoping that neighbors can get along.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 40 of 59 Pages
LYONS:
The traffic and the dust alone may ruin some of the quality of life for other
residents. So, the home occupation cannot generate any dust or glare, or noise.
Does that include the trips that are involved with the home occupation?
DALY:
No. I wouldn't think so. Not on a public road, because it is off-site. I think they
are talking about dust on the site.
LYONS:
I'm just playing devil's advocate; the way it is written, I could argue that they are
generating dust going to the site. Dust is a real problem in these rural areas. Most
of the roads are dirt roads.
This brings us to the non -paved roads and how they are privately maintained.
They are not maintained by the County. There are fourteen of us that live on our
half -mile road, and there are four of us who pay. We do have CC&R's but we
don't have a formal homeowners' association. Those who can, pay; and we split it
evenly. And I don't see how you can allow business activity on a road that I
maintain.
LUKE:
It's a public right of way. There's nothing that says you have to maintain that road.
It's dedicated toward public use.
LYONS:
We choose to. Okay. So I am recommending that you have zero trips a day for a
Type 1 home occupation, because I think that would be zero impact. I think the
language should be changed. Or they can do it only on rainy days when there is no
dust, or on County maintained roads.
Secondly, by deleting the 25% floor space requirement, there would not be a
measurable standard. Which I think that part of this is about. I suggest that if it
was limited to 1500 square feet, that when the business grew to be a Type 2, it
would be an easier transition. Because if they were Type 1 and had 3,000 square
feet, and suddenly they were Type 2, they would have to downsize and it would be
a nightmare. I want to suggest that.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 41 of 59 Pages
I think the building and safety codes, along with the environmental health
standards, should also be required in Type 1, to insure public safety. Since you are
going to have customers coming.
F,
They probably would be or they wouldn't have a house there. Unless they build
something without a permit.
LYONS:
You're not going to know if they are following those rules.
DALY:
Our system is complaint driven right now, and that's where we discover whether
they added a room on their house.
LYONS:
In my complaint, I asked Linda (Larsen) if I did not complain about building code
violations, would she see them. She said no, that she would only look at what was
formally complained about.
CRAGHEAD:
I have a question. When you say building code or environmental violations. Are
you looking at wording specifically in the other types? You want the same
wording in Type 1, or new wording?
LYONS:
No, the same wording.
SYRNYK:
That would be Type 2, "J".
DALY:
I would think that our code enforcement officer is not a building inspector. In
most cases they wouldn't recognize an illegal structure, unless the complaint
specifically says that this was done.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 42 of 59 Pages
LUKE:
By definition, no permit is needed, so you wouldn't know this was done without a
complaint.
CRAGHEAD:
In a sense, this applies to all structures, whether we have this ordinance or not.
LUKE:
And we can't enter a property without permission. A building permit allows for
this. If it is an illegal building, we can't enter without permission unless we have a
warrant.
LYONS:
Going back to the privately maintained roads, what's going to happen in a
neighborhood like mine is now my neighbor has all these trips, and I'm one of the
people that pay for the road. I think now she should pay a larger percentage for the
road. So, therefore, I may not pay this year. So now we are having problems with
the neighbors. By allowing the home occupations in the rural areas, you are
creating problems. That's my point. And the dust is another issue.
Okay. And it says in Damian's staff report under Type 1 that it is to capture sole
proprietors, although that's not the language in the proposed code. It doesn't say
anything about sole proprietorships; so we could have an incorporation or a limited
partnership there. Just to clarify.
Moving on to Type 2, I think that the language that "the business shall be
conducted in such a way that is compatible with the residential character, or in
resource zones, resource -oriented character if its location" should still be included
in the code and not deleted, Because I think this is a fundamental issue that should
be considered with the conditional use permit, and also in the appeal process. So
I'm voting that it not be deleted.
Regarding Type 2, the half -acre, it is not large enough in my opinion. We have
half -acre lots in our subdivision solely, and our CC&R's from the 1960's say your
well has to be fifty feet from your standard septic system.
DALY:
That's state law. You have to be 100 feet from your drainline, and fifty feet from
the tank.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 43 of 59 Pages
LYONS:
Our CC&R's say it is fifty feet from the septic tank. So, is it possible on a half -
acre; is that still safe drinking water conditions?
MORROW:
That's state law.
DEWOLF:
That does not guarantee safe drinking water conditions.
DALY:
Depends on the configuration of the lot.
LYONS:
The idea behind the new neighborhood is that the County doesn't really want
development on half -acre parcels.
DEWOLF:
We don't want too much of it.
LYONS:
Okay, well. I felt that water quality was a problem on a half -acre, because there
wouldn't be adequate parking on the half -acre once you have the house, the
drainfield and the well, for ten trips a day if all trips happened at the same time, or
three people came over at the same time.
I don't think there is enough room for adequate parking on a half -acre, so I propose
that the language be changed to at least one acre in size.
Regarding Type 2, "H", where it talks about no external changes that would give
the outward appearance of a business, in Type 2 you don't want it to look like a
business. Correct? So, then, in Type 2 "K", you can have a sign, though. That
seems to conflict. You said earlier that Type 2 didn't have a sign, but in fact it
does.
SYRNYK:
Type 1 is not allowed to have a sign.
LYONS:
I'm talking about Type 2 now.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 44 of 59 Pages
DEWOLF:
Type 2 can have a sign that's three square feet.
SYRNYK:
That's part of the original proposal from the Planning Commission, something
small.
LYONS:
Why would they need a sign if you don't want to give the outward appearance of a
business?
The Planning Commission thought that somebody might need a sign in some cases
for direction, some kind of marker.
DEWOLF:
Because the building itself doesn't look like a business. You've got something
hanging out by the mailbox that says --
LYONS:
So you are helping the ten trips a day get there. I see. Okay. I just wanted to let
Mr. Luke know.
Okay, there was a discussion about other requirements by the fire department to be
notified regarding Type 2's and Type 3's so that things were addressed safely. And
my neighbors got a facilities permit from the State of Oregon Health Department,
Health Licensing, and they were told to also follow the city and county
regulations, and the county regulations are no home occupations at this time. So, I
feel there could be more interdepartmental communications to notify what's going
on in the zones. And I think that the fire department is definitely one of them.
So, back to code enforcement is not enforcing four cases at this time, from this
year.
LUKE:
That's not what they said. I think there may be only one of the four.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 45 of 59 Pages
MORROW:
Actually, I think the one that Ms. Lyons is particularly interested in, they are
enforcing building permit violations. And Linda (Larsen) is working on that aspect
of the code enforcement. The complaint is active. The operator of that business has
not filed for a conditional use permit, and Linda is proceeding with the building
violations at this time.
DEWOLF:
Because that is irrespective of this.
MORROW:
Yes. So, she is going to proceed with one of those that wouldn't be allowed either
under the old regulations or the new regulations. And a planner told one of the
people that there were these pending regulations and it could change the situation.
Certainly if the Board directs the code enforcement officer to take immediate
action on these, she would do that. But at this point, she and her supervisor,
pending this outcome on those three, are not pursuing them aggressively.
LYONS:
Can I ask how you feel about that?
DALY:
It depends on what it is. We're actually more interested in compliance, and
typically try to give people some time to comply. We're not trying to be heavy-
handed.
LYONS:
In the minutes to the meeting of the work session, Commissioner DeWolf told
Frank Pennock to file a code enforcement complaint, and we'll follow up on it.
That's not going to change. And then Commission Luke said you might as well
start it now, and at the end of the year you'll be satisfied. So, I don't think that it --
my point is that you may decide not to change the rules, and you may take three or
six more months to decide, and meanwhile people have formally complained about
home occupation violations, and no action is being taken.
LUKE:
As I understand it, there is action being taken on the building violations. Is the
business illegal? Is the business viewed as illegal under the current regulations?
There are not very many.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 46 of 59 Pages
MORROW:
I believe so, because she has clients and is conducting business out of her home
and, under the existing regulations, this would require a conditional use permit.
LYONS:
All four of them do require conditional use permits right now.
LUKE:
Is this business going to meet, is it anticipated that the business may meet the
requirements for Type 2 or Type 3?
MORROW:
That's what I determined, based on the information that I had. It's conceivable that
in this case it would meet Type 1. Two of them would be Type 3.
LUKE:
The specific one you are interested in, what would that be?
MORROW:
Depending on the number of clients, it would Type 1 or Type 2.
LUKE:
Type 1 would mean there is no impact.
DEWOLF:
Which is what you are disagreeing with.
MORROW:
Not necessarily no impact; it falls within that criteria.
LYONS:
There are more than five trips a day at this time.
That's all I had. Thank you.
FRANK BRIAN:
My hats are off to you gentlemen again. I think you -- the first few meetings I
went to, I don't think it was registering yet the impact of what was going on with
this new regulation.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 47 of 59 Pages
And I believe that with the continuing kind of people that are showing up at these
things and asking the questions, I think that it is the ruse of unintended
consequences. And I'm glad to see that you are addressing the possibilities of
those. Again, I take my hats off to you.
One point I would like to bring up, I have a problem with the current code
enforcement process, and the way that is done. I have offered somebody who was
in code enforcement a thousand dollars of my personal money to file a class action
lawsuit against you folks, because I don't think it is equal protection. And I believe
that we are entitled to, equal protection under the law.
DALY:
Protection?
Well, prosecution. When Linda Larsen would drive by two places that are clearly
illegal businesses to go to the third place and talk to the guy, and actually run him
out of business and run him out of town, I think that's terrible.
DEWOLF:
Because of the complaint -driven nature, is what you are saying.
Yes, sir. And I feel that is inappropriate. And that's a part of what drives the
conflict in the neighborhoods. And, you may remember the guy who had the
electrical place in Terrebonne or wherever it was up there. That whole thing, a
neighbor moved in and didn't like what was going on, and there were three
neighbors, and one had a truck repair business and one had something else. And
he did the electrical stuff.
The neighbor who moved in didn't like him, so he filed a complaint. Well, you
have to drive by the other two neighbors to get to him. Anyway, the other point
that I would make, and this just doesn't apply to this process of getting the Type 2
permit or whatever. If I understand the process right in general with the Planning
Department, if somebody was given a Type 2, and you were given the ten-day
notice to object to it or whatever you're going to have, to file the objection, you
have to pay a fee.
0/.
That's correct. The appeal fee on an administrative approval is $250.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 48 of 59 Pages
In the regular process, the notice goes out, and you can file and make comments
for free. But if you pass this and do an administrative approval, if you don't like it,
is there a cost to complain?
SYRNYK:
I'd like to point out that under state law, there is no appeal fee; it is set at $250 for a
land use decision if there is no public hearing required. For example, the Cascade
Gardens appeal; the applicant's original application was approved, notice was
mailed to the adjacent properties, and an appeal was filed for $250. This might be
something to consider with a Type 2.
LUKE:
If I want to appeal since I didn't know about it, I have to pay $250 for you to
reconsider?
SYRNYK:
$250 will get you a hearing.
LUKE:
To appeal something you didn't know was being made.
CRAGHEAD:
A different process could be set up for home occupations. The maximum amount
allowed is $250. It doesn't mean that you can't do a different process with a
different fee.
LUKE:
We need to talk about that.
You look at the decision, and if there are no objections during ten days, you then
grant the permit.
CRAGHEAD:
If there is a hearing, it covers the cost of the hearings officer.
DEWOLF:
That's part of the reason for a Type 2, so that the cost is less. It may not seem fair,
but it is cheaper and faster than the conditional use permit process.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 49 of 59 Pages
SYRNYK:
Regarding Type 3, the Planning Commission is looking at what we are doing now.
Regarding Type 2, we are trying to figure out how to provide someone who is
applying for a permit a shorter review process with some kind of notice. The
notice could be in advance, with comments in writing to be submitted within
fourteen days. The Board could consider this.
COLLINS:
You could eliminate Type 1 and avoid opening up a huge can of worms for the
County.
DEWOLF:
So, if I'm a screenwriter for a soap opera, and I work out of my house, I'm breaking
the law, according to you.
COLLINS:
Yeah. Well, no. I just think, eliminate the whole Type 1.
DEWOLF:
Then what that means is nobody could have a home occupation —
COLLINS:
No, I'm not saying that. It's just out of sight, out of mind type thing. They are
doing it anyway.
DEWOLF:
But that is what we are trying to do, is stop everybody from being criminals, which
is what we have now.
DALY:
All we're going to have is a code that describes Type 1, which says we don't really
care.
COLLINS:
I still think it's going to be a pain.
DALY:
Type 2 could be a can of worms maybe.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 50 of 59 Pages
COLLINS:
And I kind of wanted to tell a little story about when I ran into a problem with the
County on this home occupation. We moved over here about five years ago from
the valley, and bought an acre and a half. And I was running my business on this
place, which is just the right size, really. It was in the urban growth boundary of
Redmond, and we were there about four years. No complaints - you try to keep
things neat so they're looking good and so forth.
There was a piece of property that came up here just down the road a little ways,
and it was zoned MUA, so we got interested in it. And the Realtor said no
problem, you can have your business there, and so on. He kind of fibbed to us.
We bought the property and moved there, and built a new house and cleaned up the
mess that was there, and got this notice that we were in violation of the home
occupation. Well, we hadn't even moved in yet.
Well, it was thirteen acres. Just like what Todd said earlier, five acres is plenty to
run a business. What is happening to me now, I wish I was back on that acre and a
half, where nobody bothered me at all. Period. We had good neighbors. The
complaint that I got, and it was kind of a freak deal, the complaint was written by
Linda Larsen. And she has a note at the top of it that this is not me.
What happened is I got the complaint dropped because I hadn't moved there yet
and wasn't running my business there. I told Linda my intentions were to run my
business there. I pursued it, and it was a guy about 1/3 of a mile down the road
from me who turned me in. But why Linda Larsen's name was on it, I don't know.
I got it closed and went to the guy and asked why he turned me in. He said, he
didn't like the mess. If you could imagine this guy's place, it is a mess. A junk
pile. He turns me in and I'd cleaned up, trying to make things look nice.
Getting back to the five acres, I think it is really plenty. I'm in an MUA, and we've
got water rights. That acre and a half really looks good compared to trying to take
care of all of this property. The farming aspect of it, twenty acres, I don't know
any farmer who can get rich on twenty acres; it's not going to happen.
I really think five acres is plenty on this deal. I don't think you need any more
property than that to run a business. The problem with our business, and there are
several of us here tonight, is our tools are big. We operate with big tools. And
really, in my eyes, it is no different than if you have a framing contractor who has
ten guys working for him, and they leave with their four pickups and their tools in
the back of the pickups.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 51 of 59 Pages
I mean, they are going to the job. We do the same. That's how we operate. We're
not there on this piece of property trying to make a living. We're just parking our
equipment at night. It just looks bad when you have large tools. I've rented a yard
before to park some of my equipment, which I can't really afford. I'd rather keep it
all at my place.
I agree with the gentleman who was up here about the complaints. That's not right
that somebody driving by can turn you in. It's not a fair system at all. I think it
should be a neighbor, and any adjoining neighbor should have a full say. No one
else, unless he is impacted by something that might be going on there. If the dust
is a problem or something. I think it should be adjoining.
What I would like to see, instead of going through this appeal process, is that if
you are going to go in for a Type 3, why couldn't go to your neighbors yourself.
You would save the taxpayers a lot of money. Get a letter saying that it's okay, as
part of the process, instead of charging what they do. I know that money is tight
anyway. Why couldn't the person applying go ahead and do some of that footwork
themselves?
MORROW:
They do sometimes. When they submit their applications. Everybody still gets
notified.
DALY:
So what you are saying, Dennis, is that even on a Type 3, depending on the
circumstances, that possibly a administrative decision could be made rather than
going through a full-blown conditional use.
COLLINS:
I think so. You know, if you get the neighbors, whatever criteria you use, to sign,
that should cut a big process and time off of this. The rest of the criteria, the
screening and everything, that's probably one visit out for a County employee, and
that won't be a huge impact or huge cost. I think it could help. That's pretty much it.
LUKE:
Mr. Kuhn is the last one I have on the list, so if there's anyone else, please let me
know.
(Two people speaking off the microphones)
Minutes of board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 52 of 59 Pages
LUKE:
Okay, we'll take you after this.
WILLIAM KUHN:
I live in the Tumalo winter deer range. During the testimony that has been made, a
couple of questions came up. First of all, how many applications are you
expecting initially and also on a renewal basis, each year?
MORROW:
When I did this research on the number of pending applications that were related to
code enforcement cases in regard to home occupations, there appears that over the
past three years, which is as long as Linda Larsen has been working on this, there
have been about six a year. And we would have to do additional research to see
how many there have been in previous years. Four to six a year.
KUHN:
So, this isn't hundreds or thousands.
MORROW:
Oh, no.
KUHN:
If there are only six, and let's say that we multiply that times ten, then you have
sixty. And this is just a brainstorm idea, and if you want to shoot me down, feel
free. But, is it possible to have a community home occupation review committee
that would look at the occupation that is being applied for and make a
determination, or ask the questions that are necessary to ask, to find out whether
this person is going to be a jerk or not?
Because that is the basic question. Is the person going to respect their neighbors,
be honorable with their intentions, or are they going to be running roughshod in the
neighborhood, disrupting the living conditions of the area. That's basically the
question that we are dealing with.
So, if you only have six or sixty per year, why don't you just say, let's have a
committee that reviews this. And have a citizen's voluntary group that looks at
criteria. Look, you have to make sure that you are not being arbitrary and
capricious. I respect that. But there are so many different types of businesses that
have different criteria that offset each other.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 53 of 59 Pages
I, for one, can't be a Type 2 because my business starts at 5:30 in the morning and
goes until 5:00 in the afternoon. I'm one of those people who has the TV on for
12-1/2 hours a day. I don't watch it all the time, but if I see something that is on
the news or a ticker going by that I have to see. I wouldn't be able to do my
newsletters on weekends, even though that's the best time to be doing it. So I
would have to be a Type 1. This kind of differential that has to be made between
what type of business are you. We don't have any impact on our surroundings.
DEWOLF:
Wouldn't you rather be a Type I? There's no fee, there's no process.
KUHN:
Yeah, but I can't have an employee come to my place of business to help me do
those newsletters, or to run the business when I'm not there. In other words, how
do I deal with those kinds of situations?
DALY:
You only have to deal with it if someone complains.
KUHN:
Correct. But I don't want to be -- in my business, I can't have people complaining.
DEWOLF:
And you still know. Ethically, if you know you are breaking the rules --
KUHN:
I'm just asking, is there a way for you to open this up more to allow -- I would
personally rather have a considerate well driller that is in a home occupation next
to me, rather than an inconsiderate beautician with seventeen trips a day, where
they are coming down a dusty road. Is there a way for you to take into
consideration these different types of businesses? Is the person a jerk or aren't'
they? That's what you are trying to determine.
DALY:
In most cases, you wouldn't be able to determine that until after the fact, I would
think.
DEWOLF:
They'd be on their best behavior when they are applying.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 54 of 59 Pages
CRAGHEAD:
I have a question on how you write criteria on are you a jerk or not. I'm just
wondering -- it would be a great idea if we could figure that out. In the land use
arena, I don't know how to write this so that you are treating all well drillers
equally, but this one well driller might be a jerk. Again, how do you ferret that out
at the beginning.
KUHN:
I just want to toss one idea out. And that is, if you want to have this committee,
and you've got somebody coming in to make a presentation to you, well then have
that person bring in a letter from each of the four neighbors on each side of the
property, or actually six or eight corners, and just have them say yes or no. Or, is
this business going to disrupt your enjoyment of your property. Either they are
going to say yes or no. And if they say no, well why not. They have an
opportunity to come to this committee and give their piece of mind also.
Another very important question that I have is regarding retroactivity. Legal
Counsel, I would specifically ask you the question. How are you going to deal
with retroactivity. If somebody already has an established business within a home,
and you put this ordinance into effect, how is that going to -- how do you deal with
it? Because I'm going to point the finger. You have specifically said that certain
other ideas aren't going to work because of retroactivity.
CRAGHEAD:
It's a different situation. One is that they are currently engaged in an activity. Now
they may say that they've done it for years. Then we have a verification of a non-
conforming use. So they may end up having to file for an application on a
verification of a non -conforming use. So each situation will be different on that.
It's a current application of what they are currently doing. Again, I would have to
look at it on a case by case basis.
KUHN:
So there is the concept of, if a business is already there and if it has been run in a
non jerk manner, then there is some consideration for the fact that this is an
existing situation.
CRAGHEAD:
Under state law, under non -conforming use, twenty years or more, we'd do a
verification of a non -conforming use.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 55 of 59 Pages
KUHN:
The concept of grandfathering. I would like to at least suggest it, that if there is a
business that has already been in existence and you put this ordinance into effect, is
there a possibility that you could at least consider a grandfather clause type of
situation? I encourage you to do so.
LUKE:
I have a request for a short break. How long is your testimony?
KUHN:
I'm through. I've covered everything that I have.
LUKE:
We'll take a brief break now. But, first, I would point out, typically once you have
testified, I'm very reluctant to let people continue to testify. If you have some
questions of staff that they might be able to answer, that's great. If you have
additional points, I would suggest that you do it in writing. Staff will be here for a
little bit if you have questions.
A brief break was taken at this time (from 8: 00 to 8: 08 p. m)
JACKIE PENNOCK:
I had a question regarding signage, but it has been answered. I understand it is not
allowed on a Type 1, and a small sign is okay for Type 2. My comment is,
considering that these home occupations will be in residential areas, I don't feel
signs are appropriate. If they need signs, they should be in a commercial area.
MORROW:
Ms. Lyons has a point of clarification.
LYONS:
When the gentleman said Type 1 should be thrown out, Commissioner DeWolf
said that he wanted to allow Type 1 for the painter or telecommuter. I wanted to
point out that right now, that is permitted outright. We have regulations right now
that allow for that person to do the home occupation. The only difference is, there
are no customers coming to his house.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 56 of 59 Pages
MORROW:
And I think the point of clarification is that section of the code that Ms. Lyons is
referring to, where certain things that are kind of like Type 1 are allowed, is in the
unincorporated communities. But the distinction of what is allowed outright in the
unincorporated communities now is, what is proposed now does not allow clients.
Type 1 as it is proposed would allow up to five clients a day.
MORROW:
I wanted to make sure that was clarified for all of us.
LUKE:
We're going to close the public testimony now. Does staff have any questions or
directions?
MORROW:
As soon as you all are ready to make some calls on these outstanding issues and
new issues, we can make those changes. You have to make the decisions.
LUKE:
July and August aren't good times.
DEWOLF:
We need to find an hour or two sometime soon.
SYRNYK:
You could have a work session and go through this point by point.
DEWOLF:
I want to get it done. We need to find out where the flaws are and fix them.
MORROW:
You probably are going to have to, on some of these issues, vote on them as you go
through them, and get them off the table.
DEWOLF:
I want this to happen sooner rather than later.
LUKE:
It's okay if we can find some time in August. Two hours.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 57 of 59 Pages
Since this is a legislative matter, written testimony is always allowed, right up to
the time of the decision. Except for a few people, the majority of people here are
people who have or want to have a business on their property. There are a vast
majority of people out there who don't necessarily not care what happens here, but
won't find out until it's done. There will probably not be a consensus on all issues.
DALY:
Government is run by those who show up.
MORROW:
If you have a work session, it should be scheduled with enough notice, but I don't
think it has to be in the evening.
LUKE:
You aren't going to take testimony at the work session. We need to come to a
consensus. Once we have an ordinance put together, we can then have a public
hearing on the ordinance. I think we've opened this up enough, and have an idea of
what people would like to see, and we've got to get through that process.
MORROW:
That's fine with me. You may not need to have another public hearing once you've
done your thumbs up and thumbs down on the various issues. The reason I raise
this notification issue for the work session is because it will be a public meeting.
We have told people all along through this process that they would be notified
even of the work sessions.
LUKE:
Public notice is always appropriate to people who have signed up on this.
MORROW:
It would only be those people. And I think we have all the information we need at
this point for you to make a decision.
Being no further testimony or comments made, Chair Luke adjourned the
meeting at 8: 30 p. m.
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 58 of 59 Pages
DATED this 22"d Day of July 2003 for the Deschutes County Board of
Commissioners.
ATTEST:
r6U"'jZjUA_
Recording Secretary
6,t, h
Dennis R. Luke, thaIr
Tom DeWolf, Commissioner
M cha M. Daly, Co missioner
Attachments:
Exhibit A: Sign -in Sheet to Testify and/or to Receive Mailings (1 page)
Exhibit B: Staff Report to Commissioners, dated July 15, 2003 (4 pages)
Exhibit C: Board Discussion Draft on Home Occupation Ordinance (3 pages)
Exhibit D: Current Rules on Home Occupations (1 page)
Exhibit E: Summary of Issues, April 23 Public Hearing (11 pages)
Exhibit F: Public Testimony dated July 22, submitted by Tina Lyons (3 pages)
Minutes of Board of Commissioners' Public Hearing Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Proposed Home Occupation Ordinance Page 59 of 59 Pages
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Community Development Department
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s. Planning Division Building Safety Division Environmental Health Division
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117 NW Lafayette Avenue Bend Oregon 97701-1925
(541)388-6575 FAX(541)385-1764
http://www.co.deschutes.or.us/cdd/
STAFF REPORT
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Damian Syrnyk, Senior Planner
DATE: July 15, 2003
SUBJECT: July 22, 2003 public hearing on Ordinance 2003-003, regarding home
occupations in Deschutes County (File No. TA -02-12)
Purpose
The purpose of this report is to present a Board Hearing Draft of the above -referenced
ordinance proposing new regulations for home occupations. The Board will hold a public
hearing on this draft at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, 2003. You will also find enclosed several
documents for your reference in evaluating this draft:
• Summary of Issues Raised at April 23, 2003 Public Hearing;
• Summary of Results of Board Questionnaire;
• Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire, and;
• Summary of Board Work Session on May 14, 2003.
Staff has included these documents with the staff report for the reader's reference in evaluating
the version of the ordinance before the Board now and the Planning Commission
recommendation that was before the Board at the April 23, 2003 public hearing.
Background
The public hearing scheduled for July 22, 2003 will be the second public hearing before the
Board. The Board also conducted two public work sessions (in May and in June) to discuss the
proposed ordinances and to discover areas of agreement and disagreement. The Board
conducted its first public hearing on the Planning Commission Recommendation (Ordinance
2003-003) on April 23, 2003. After the hearing, staff prepared and the commissioners
responded to a questionnaire that asked 17 questions on the issues raised in public testimony
and addressed through the ordinance. The Board held a work session on May 14, 2003 and
provided staff direction on areas of agreement and areas where more work was required before
soliciting additional public input on the ordinance. Staff prepared a one-page summary of this
work session that is enclosed with this report. The Board held one more work session on June
18, 2003 during which the Board decided on what elements to retain in the ordinance for the
purpose of obtaining additional public input on the proposal.
Much of the focus of the last two work sessions was on the proposed rules for Types 1, 2, and 3
home occupations. The initial proposal in Ordinance 2003-003 included listing Type 1 home
occupations as a use permitted outright where that type of home occupation was already
Quality Services Perfonned with Pride
Exhibit ,e
Page / of _�6
permitted outright in a zone district. The ordinance also proposed adding Type 1 home
occupations as a use permitted outright in the Multiple Use Agricultural (MUA10) and Rural
Residential (RR10) Zones since such uses ana not already allowed outright in these zones. Bill
Peck of the Sunriver Owners Association (SROA) contacted and communicated to staff that the
zoning ordinance language for the Sunriver Community (DCC Chapter 18.108) does not list
home occupations as a permitted or conditional use in the Residential or Commercial zones. If
the Board decides to ultimately include Type 1 home occupations in the zoning ordinance, staff
will recommend adding Type 1 home occupations to the Single -Family, Multi -Family, and
Commercial zones of DCC Chapter 18.108.
The proposed ordinance also lists Type 2 and Type 3 home occupations as a conditional use in
zones where such uses are already allowed as conditional uses. Staff has not proposed adding
Type 2 or Type 3 home occupations to zones where such uses are not already allowed. Staff
has not proposed changing this element of the! proposal.
Board Draft of Ordinance - Discussion
This portion of the staff report highlights the changes made to the Planning Commission Draft
based on direction from the Board and public testimony before the Board. You will find
enclosed a "Board Hearing Draft" that shows the requirements for all three types of home
occupation. The discussion below focuses on outstanding issues raised by the Board and
through public testimony.
Type 1 home occupation. As proposed, this type of home occupation would be permitted
outright in most zones except exclusive farm use and forest zones. This type is intended
to include businesses that would generate no impacts and would be operated by only a
sole proprietor. The following lists the changes and issues for additional discussion
before the Board takes final action on the ordinance.
1) Location. Staff changed the language under (13)(1)(a) to allow a Type 1 home
occupation to be carried on within a dwelling and/or a residential accessory
structure, such as a detached garage.
2) Employees. Staff has changed (B)(1)( a) so that Type 1 home occupation could
employ contractors or employees who work off site, such as their own home or a
separate office.
3) Trip Limitation. Staff proposes adding the language "not including parcel delivery
services' to the trip limitation standard under (13)(1)(b) so it would be consistent
with Types 2 and 3.
4) Floor Area. Staff deleted the floor area limitation as directed by the Board so that
the amount of floor area devoted to a Type 1 home occupation would not be
limited in the ordinance.
Type 2 home occupation. This type of home occupation represents a new addition to
the Zoning Ordinance. As proposed, a Type 2 home occupation would require a
conditional use permit. However, unlike a Type 3 home occupation, it would be subject
to a lower application fee, more clear and objective criteria, and shorter administrative
processing timelines. The following lists the changes and issues for additional
discussion before the Board takes final. action on the ordinance.
Staff Report to BOCC
July 15, 2003
Page 2 of 4
Exhibit
Page vZ of �_ ,
1) Property Size. This type of home occupation includes a minimum property size
requirement of one-half (1/2) acre. The questions before the Board here are
whether the County should require a minimum size of property (e.g. 1/2 acre) in
order for a proposal to qualify as a Type 2 home occupation, and if so, is the
proposal for one-half acre adequate?
2) Discretionary Standard. Staff deleted the following language from Type 2 home
occupations: "Is conducted in such a way that it is compatible with the residential
character, or in resource zones, resource -oriented character of its location." Staff
made this change because most of the criteria for a Type 2 home occupation are
more clear and objective that the criteria under Type 3. Staff believes this
criterion is more discretionary and would be more appropriate to retain under
Type 3.
3) Floor Area. Staff proposes a change to criterion (2)(c) to clarify the floor area
maximum under Type 2. The current proposal includes the following new
language under (2)(c) —"The maximum amount of floor area that can be devoted
to a Type 2 home occupation is 1, 500 square feet."
4) Daily Trips. Staff requests Board direction on whether to limit daily vehicle trips
for Type 2 and Type 3 home occupations as a criterion for approval of a
conditional use permit. Staff recommends keeping this standard as a
measurement for code enforcement and to define impacts to surrounding
property owners.
5) Excluded Uses. Staff requests Board direction on whether to exclude certain
uses from consideration as Type 2 home occupations. You will find this list
under (2)(n). Staff deleted "catering" from the list of excluded uses in this draft as
directed by the Board.
The related issue for discussion here is the size standard of 10,000 pounds gross
vehicle weight. If the Board ultimately decides to adopt a list of uses that would
be excluded from consideration as Type 2 home occupations, Staff recommends
the Board adopt a standard of 15,000 pounds. Staff performed some brief
research and found several models of trucks that had gross vehicle weight
ratings of 11,200 to 11,500 pounds. If the Board decides to exclude certain uses
from consideration under a Type 2 home occupation, Staff recommends the
inclusion of the 15,000 pound gross vehicle weight rating standard so that
personal trucks are not affected by this proposal and to account for potential
increases in gross vehicle weight rating over time.
Type 3 home occupations. The third category of home occupations represents the
current model of regulation that exists under the Zoning Ordinance with changes
proposed by the Planning Commission. The basis for this type of home occupation is
the current rules under DCC 18.128.110 for home occupations that require a conditional
use permit. The following lists the changes and the issues for additional discussion on
Type 3 home occupations before the Board takes final action on the ordinance.
1) Employees. The question before the Board is whether the county should limit the
number of employees as proposed. Staff recommends using the Planning
Commission Recommendation for this standard.
Staff Report to BOCC
July 15, 2003
Page 3 of 4
Exhibit 16
Page 3 of _
2) Property Size Requirement. The proposed rules for Type 3 home occupations
include two (2) property size requirements. One requirement addresses the
number of employees that could be allowed with a Type 3 home occupation
proposed in an EFU or Forest zone. This proposed standard is 20 acres in size.
Criterion (3)(1) also requires a 20 -acre minimum for outside storage of equipment
and materials.
3) Daily Trips. The question before the Board here as in the case of Type 2 home
occupations is whether the county should include a limitation on daily vehicle
trips to the site of a home occupation as a criterion for approval. The Planning
Commission recommendation on this standard has not been changed.
4) Vehicle Weight. Type 3 includes a proposed limitation of vehicle weight under
criterion (3)(f) relating to parking of businesses vehicles. If the Board decides to
adopt such a standard, Staff recommends the Board adopt the gross vehicle
weight rating of 15,000 pounds to be consistent with Type 2.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends the Board of Commissioners take the following actions:
1. Conduct a public hearing on the Board Hearing Draft dated July 15, 2003.
2. Consider testimony received on this draft and on the issues raised and questions posed in
this report.
3. Provide Staff Direction on what changes to make to the final draft that will be adopted by
the Board or that will be the subject of additional public review.
Please contact me at 385-1709 or at damians a )co.deschutes.or.us if I can answer any
questions before the public hearing.
/DPS
Enclosures:
1. Board Hearing Draft
2. Summary of Issues Raised at April 23, 2003 Public Hearing
3. Summary of Results of Board Questionnaire
4. Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
5. Summary of Board Work Session on Maty 14, 2003
Staff Report to BOCC
July 15, 2003
Page 4 of 4
Exhibit 46
Page � of e
Board Hearing Draft on Home Occupations
July 15, 2003
18.116.280. Home Occupations.
A. Purpose. The purposes of this section are:
1. To provide a process through which citizens of unincorporated Deschutes County can establish
home occupations.
2. To ensure home occupations are established that are compatible with residences and other land
uses.
B. Types. The following describes the types of home occupations allowed in Deschutes County:
1. Type 1. Where permitted outright, a Type l home occupation shall be subject to the following
limitations. A Type 1 home occupation is one that:
a. Is carried on within a dwelling and/or a residential accessory structure only by members of the
family who reside in the dwelling, excluding employees and/or contractors who work off-site
and do not travel to the subject property to report for work;
b. Does not generate more than five (5) trips per day to the site while serving clients or customers
onsite, not including parcel delivery services;
c. Does not produce odor, dust, glare, flashing lights or noise;
d. Does not involve the on -premise display or sale of stock in trade, and;
e. Does not involve the use of a sign to advertise the location of the home occupation.
2. Type 2. Type 2 home occupations may be allowed as conditional uses with an approved
conditional use permit. Such uses are subject to the standards of the zone in which the home
occupation will be established and the following criteria. A Type 2 home occupation is not
subject to the approval criteria for a conditional use permit in DCC Chapter 18.128 or site plan
review under DCC Chapter 18.124. A Type 2 home occupation is one that:
a. Is conducted from a property that is at least one-half (1/2) acre in size.
b. Is carried on within a dwelling and/or an accessory building by members of the family who
reside in the dwelling and no more than two (2) employees who report to the property for
work.
c. Does not occupy more than 25 percent of the combined floor area of the dwelling, including
attached garage, and one (1) accessory building. The maximum amount of floor area that can
be devoted to a Type 2 home occupation is 1,500 square feet.
d. Includes on-site sales of products associated with the home occupation that are incidental and
subordinate to the home occupation.
e. Creates no more than ten (10) vehicle trips to the site per day by employees, customers or
clients, not including parcel delivery services.
f. Has adequate access and parking for employees and customers.
g. Is limited to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for operation.
h. Does not involve any external changes to the dwelling or the accessory building in which the
home occupation will be established that would give any building an outward appearance of a
business. Any structure on the property where the home occupation is conducted shall be of a
type normally associated with the zone where it is located. No structural alterations affecting
the residential appearance of a building shall be allowed to accommodate the home
occupation except when otherwise required by law, and then only after the plans for such
alterations have been reviewed and approved by the planning division.
i. Does not use materials or mechanical equipment which will be detrimental to the residential
use of the property or adjoining residences because of vibration, noise, dust, smoke, odor,
light, interference with radio or television reception or other factors.
j. Complies with all requirements of the Deschutes County Building and Safety Division and
the Environmental Health Division and any other applicable state or federal laws.
For July 22, 2003 Public Hearing
Page 1 of 3
Exhibit (�'
Page l of
Board Hearing Draft on Home Occupations
July 15, 2003
Compliance with the requirements of the County Building and Safety Division shall include
meeting all building occupancy classification requirements of the state -adopted building
code.
k. May have one (1) sign, ground -mounted or wall -mounted, as defined in DCC Chapter 15.08,
that is no more than three (3) square feet in area, non -illuminated, and located on the property
from which home occupation will operate. Such signs do not require a sign permit under
DCC Chapter 15.08, Signs.
1. May be subject to an annual inspection„ as a condition of an approval, to ensure compliance
with the conditions of an approved conditional use permit.
m. May not include outside storage of equipment or materials used in operation of the home
occupation.
n. The following uses are not allowed as Type 2 home occupations:
i. Repair, towing, or storage of motorized vehicles and equipment, including but not limited
to automobiles, trucks, trailers, recreational vehicles, and boats.
ii. Detailing, painting, and upholsteryof motorized vehicles.
iii. Businesses that store and use vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than
or equal to 15,000 pounds or equipment with an operating weight greater than or equal to
3,000 pounds.
iv. Appliance repair.
v. Welding or machine shop.
Type 3. Type 3 home occupations may be allowed as conditional uses with an approved
conditional use permit. Such uses are subject to the standards of the zone in which the home
occupation will be established, the applicable provisions of DCC Chapter 18.128, and the
following limitations. A Type 3 home occupation is not subject to site plan review under DCC
Chapter 18.124. A Type 3 home occupation is one that:
a. Is conducted in such a way that it is compatible with the residential character, or in resource
zones, resource -oriented character of its location.
b. Is carried on within a dwelling and/or an accessory building by members of the family who
reside in the dwelling and no more than two (2) employees who report to the property for
work. A home occupation proposed on property that is located in an EFU or Forest Zone and
that is at least 20 acres in size may have not more than five (5) employees who report to the
property for work.
c. Does not occupy more than 35 percent of the combined floor area of the dwelling, including
an attached garage, and one (1) accessory building.
d. Includes on-site sales of products associated with the home occupation that are incidental and
subordinate to the home occupation.
e. Creates traffic that will not be of a volume or frequency that will cause disturbance or
inconvenience to nearby land uses. A Type 3 home occupation can create no more than
twenty (20) vehicle trips to the site per day by employees, customers or clients.
f. Has adequate access and parking for employees and customers. Vehicles used by the
operator to conduct the home occupation that have a gross vehicle weight of 15,000 or more
pounds must be parked in a garage, a detached building, or screened according to the
requirements of DCC 18.116.280(Bx3)(1)(i) through (v).
g. Is limited to the hours and days of operation proposed by an applicant and approved with a
conditional use permit.
h. Does not involve any external changes to the dwelling in which the home occupation will be
established that would give the dwelling an outward appearance of a business. Any structure
on the property where the home occupation is conducted shall be of a type normally
associated with the zone where it is located. No structural alterations affecting the residential
For July 22, 2003 Public Hearing
Page 2 of 3
Exhibit C_
Page of 3
Board Hearing Draft on Home Occupations
July 15, 2003
appearance of a building shall be allowed to accommodate the home occupation except when
otherwise required by law, and then only after the plans for such alterations have been
reviewed and approved by the planning division.
i. Does not use materials or mechanical equipment which will be detrimental to the residential
use of the property or adjoining residences because of vibration, noise, dust, smoke, odor,
interference with radio or television reception or other factors.
J. Complies with all requirements of the Deschutes County Building and Safety Division and
the Environmental Health Division and any other applicable state or federal laws.
Compliance with the requirements of the County Building and Safety Division shall include
meeting all building occupancy classification requirements of the state -adopted building
code.
k. May have one (1) sign, ground -mounted or wall -mounted, as defined in DCC Chapter 15.08,
that is no more than three (3) square feet in area, non -illuminated, and located on the property
from which home occupation will operate. Such signs do not require a sign permit under
DCC Chapter 15.08, Signs.
1. May include outside storage of equipment and materials if the subject property is 20 or more
acres in size and the applicant shows that adequate setbacks and/or screening or buffering is
provided, and will be maintained, to screen materials and equipment from adjacent properties.
The form of screening may include, but is not limited to:
i. A sight -obscuring fence, as defined by this title.
ii. Intervening mature tree cover.
iii. Topography.
iv. Existing buildings on site.
v. Introduced landscape materials, including, but not limited to, trees and/or shrubs on
an earthen berm.
in. The home occupation approval shall be reviewed every 12 months by the planning division to
ensure compliance with the requirements of this section and the conditions required for
approval of the use.
For July 22, 2003 Public Hearing
Page 3 of 3
Exhibit a_
Page 3 of 3_
Current Rules on Home Occupations
Conditional Use
Permitted Outright
When permitted as a conditional use and
conducted as an accessory use, a home
Home
occupation that:
occupation shall be subject to the following
1.
Is carried on within a dwelling only
limitations:
by members of the family who
A. The home occupation is to be secondary to
reside in the dwelling;
the residential or other use for which a
2.
Does not serve clients or
dwelling has been permitted. It shall be
customers on-site;
conducted only by members of the family
3.
Does not produce odor, dust,
residing on the property. The home
glare, flashing lights or noise;
occupation shall be conducted in such a way
4.
Does not occupy more than 25
that it has no adverse impact on the
percent of the floor area of the
residential, or in resource zones,
dwelling; and
resource -oriented character of its location.
5.
Does not include the on -premises
display or sale of stock in trade.
B. Any structure on the property where the home
6.
Does not have any outdoor
occupation is conducted shall be of a type
storage of materials used in the
normally associated with the zone where it is
home occupation.
located. No structural alterations affecting the
residential appearance of a building shall be
allowed to accommodate the home
occupation except when otherwise required
by law, and then only after the plans for such
alterations have been reviewed and approved
by the planning division.
C. The subject property shall have adequate
access and parking for the home occupation.
Traffic created by the business or customers
of the business shall not be of a volume or
frequency that will cause disturbance or
inconvenience to nearby land uses.
D. All uses conducted on the subject property
shall comply with all requirements of the
Deschutes County Building and Safety
Division and the Environmental Health
Division and any other applicable state or
federal laws.
E. The home occupation approval shall be
reviewed every 12 months by the planning
division to ensure compliance with the
requirements of DCC 18.128.110 and the
conditions required for approval of the use.
F. No materials or mechanical equipment shall
be used which will be detrimental to the
residential use of the property or adjoining
residences because of vibration, noise, dust,
smoke, odor, interference with radio or
television reception or other factors.
Exhibit _D
Page / of t
Categories
Board direction
required
Refer to staff for
re -drafting
Separate
Process
Summary of Issues April 23, 2003 Public Hearing on
Ordinance 2003-003, Home Occupations
->ununary vi issucs
Adequate rules for
regulating home
occupations
Definition of "home
occupation"
Proposed Questions
Should count retain existing zoning
regulations or consider making changes
proposed through Ordinance 2003-003?
Should any changes adopted include the
three proposed types of home
occupations?
Should county make changes to existing
definition of home occupation?
Policy for businesses where Should new zoning regulations address
work is performed off-site home-based businesses, which perform
work off-site? (e.g. contractor)
Equipment/vehicle storage Should county consider and adopt
different standards for parking and storage
of business vehicles and personal
vehicles? Should such standards address
limitations on numbers of vehicles, vehicle
weight, or requirements for parking and
screening vehicles?
Compatibility/Impacts on
neighbors (e.g.) traffic,
noise, appearance, solid
waste, smoke/
Clarify proposed standards
and terms: property size,
hours of operation, trips,
vehicle weight
Employees - numbers
allowed; definition of
"employee"
Refer to staff to revise proposed
standards. Focus on performance
standards.
Refer to staff to clarify
Refer to staff to prepare draft. Staff will
coordinate with Legal Counsel. May need
to define employee of home occupation.
Code Enforcement Not part of code amendment process
Impact on approved CUPs None required - CUP approved under
for home occupations rules in effect at time of application
Page 1 of 1
April 29, 2003
Exhibit
Page of //
Home Occupation Questionnaire — Summary of Results
1. Areas of Consensus
Question No.
1
7
12
Question Response
Change Regulations
Employees OK
Outside Storage OK With
Limits
All three commissioners agreed that the County should change the existing regulations for
home occupations. The commissioners also agreed the regulations should be changed so that
home occupations can have employees and outside storage.
2. Two of Three Commissioners
The following lists the questions and the subjects on which at least two commissioners
answered "yes."
Question No. Question Response
3 Change Definition of Home Occupation
4 Home Occupation In House And/Or Residential
Accessory Building
5 Create Definition for "Off -Site" Home -Based
Business
8 Traffic — Limit Trips
10 Incidental Sales
11 Have Standards For Vehicle Parking and Storage
13 Regulate Hours of Operation
17. Re -Examine Code Enforcement Policy
Two of the three commissioners said "yes" to changing the definition of home occupation in the
zoning ordinance and to limiting home occupations to a residence and/or a residential
accessory structure. In addition, these commissioners agreed the county should create a
definition to address home-based businesses that engaged in their business off-site, but might
also store equipment and vehicles at the residence of the proprietor. With respect to off-site
impacts, two of three commissioners agreed the county should limit daily trips, incidental on-site
sales, parking and storing of vehicles, and hours of operation. Finally, there were two
commissioners in support of re-examining the county's code enforcement policy and procedures
in light of these proposed changes.
Page 1 of 2
7/3/2003
Exhibit rC
Page �_of
3. Areas for More Discussion.
The following lists the questions and the subjects of these questions that received two
"undecided" or two "no" votes or different answers from each commissioner:
/DPS
Question No. Subject of Question
2 Adopt Three -Tier System
6 Adopt Property Size Standards
9 Limit Floor Area
14 Require Inspections
15 Excluded Certain Uses
16 Processing of Applications
Page 2 of 2
7/3/2003
Exhibit E
Page 3 of
Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
1. Change Regulations?
No
No
No
Should the county retain the
existing zoning regulations
for home occupations and
treat most home
occupations as conditional
Undecided
Yes
uses?
site is not a home
& would like to discuss this
Comments?
occupation nor should it be
We should revise the code
and the other permitted as a
included in the home
so that non -impact home
conditional use?
occupation ordinance
occupations are allowed
Comments?
outright
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
2. Three-tier system?
Undecided
Undecided
Yes
Should the county adopt a
three system such as the
one proposed (with
modifications)?
If no, should the county
Undecided
Yes
retain a two-tier system with
site is not a home
& would like to discuss this
one type permitted outright
occupation nor should it be
further
and the other permitted as a
included in the home
conditional use?
occupation ordinance
Comments?
Whether 2 or 3 tier, we
need one set of "permitted
outright" home occupations
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
3. Definition? Should the
Undecided
Yes
Yes
county change or clarify the
existing definition of "home
occupation" in the zoning
ordinance?
Comments?
Work being performed off-
I'm not 100% on either one
site is not a home
& would like to discuss this
occupation nor should it be
further
included in the home
occupation ordinance
Exhibit E
Page 1 of 7 Page �(_ of f /
Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
4. Definition location?
Yes
Undecided
Yes
Should the county continue
to limit home occupations to
a residence and/or an
accessory building?
If not, should the county
also allow outside storage
of equipment and
Would like to discuss it but
materials?
I question the if it is even
Comments?
needed
I'm not convinced that all
The proposal is a good
and a residence?
Type 1 home occupations
start
Comments?
I think Type 3 is an attempt
need to be all indoors.
The proposal is ok
to address businesses
Painters? Writers?
conducted off-site like well
Sculptors? Massage
drillers or contractors.
therapists?
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
5. Definition —Off site
Undecided
Yes
Yes
business? Should the
county create a policy or a
definition to address such
businesses described in 3
above where most of the
work is performed off-site?
Comments?
Would like to discuss it but
to retain some distance
I question the if it is even
between a home occupation
needed
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
6. Property Size? Should
Undecided
Undecided
Yes
the county require a
minimum property size for a
home occupation?
If so, should this standard
vary by type (e.g. Type 2 or
3) or by zone? Should the
county also use a setback
to retain some distance
between a home occupation
and a residence?
Comments?
I think Type 3 is an attempt
Perhaps both. Yes in
The proposal is ok
to address businesses
certain zones
conducted off-site like well
I need more discussion on
drillers or contractors.
this.
This is not a home
occupation in my opinion
Exhibit C
Page 2 of 7 Page of / /
Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
7. Employees? Should
Yes
Yes
Yes
the county allow home
occupations to have
employees other than those
members of a family
No
Yes
Yes
residing in a dwelling?
If so, should the number
Perhaps in different
Percentage with Cap –
employees be limited by
situations
Yes
type of home occupation?
This would be impossible
Current code is subjective.
I support the proposal
On a case-by-case basis?
to enforce
Perhaps in different
Or, a flat percentage such
situations
Comments?
Probably
I don't know. It might
I support the proposal
and 3?
depend on the situation
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
8. Traffic? Should the
No
Yes
Yes
daily automobile trips
generated by a home
occupation be limited?
If so, should the number of
No
Yes
Yes
trips be limited by type of
Home Occupation Type 1, 2
Percentage with Cap –
and 3?
Yes
Comments?
This would be impossible
Current code is subjective.
I support the proposal
proposed under Type 2?
to enforce
Not sure on #'s of
Or, a flat percentage such
proposal, but theory is
as proposed under Types 1
good
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
9. Floor Area? Should the
No
No
Yes
county limit the size of floor
area of a residence and/or
an accessory building
devoted to a home
occupation?
If so, what should this
Percentage with Cap –
limitation be? A percentage
Yes
of size with a cap such as
proposed under Type 2?
Or, a flat percentage such
as proposed under Types 1
and 3?
If not these options, how
It depends with "no impact"
would you propose such as
business, no one cares.
standard?
We need to discuss merits
of others.
Exhibit C
Page 3 of 7 Page 10 of —�
Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
Comments?
If the business is
No restriction on
I support the proposal
Yes
conducted inside
"permitted outright'
someone's home, why
should we care how much
floor area they use? Again,
impossible to enforce.
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
10. Sales? Should the
Yes
Undecided
Yes
county allow home
occupations to conduct on-
site sales of products
associated with a home
occupation?
If so, should they be
Yes
Undecided
Yes
incidental and subordinate
to the home occupation as
proposed in Ordinance
2003-003?
10,000 lbs gvw too small
The weight needs to be
If not, how would you
increased to allow for
propose to allow on-site
most pickups
sales?
Comments?
Let's discuss further
I support the proposal
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
11. Vehicle parking &
No
Yes
Yes
storage? Should the
county adopt standards to
address parking of business
vehicles associated with a
home occupation?
Should the county limit the
No
Yes, depends on zone
Yes
storage of business
vehicles of a certain gross
vehicle weight?
Comments?
10,000 lbs gvw too small
The weight needs to be
increased to allow for
most pickups
Exhibit 6
Page 4 of 7 Page of /
Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
12. Outside storage?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Should outside storage of
equipment and materials be
permitted?
If yes:
• Should property size be
Yes
Yes
a factor?
• Should screening be
Maybe
Perhaps
required?
• Should there be
Probably
Yes
What happens inside the
setbacks from adjacent
depends on the impact to
house does not need to
property?
neighbors
be regulated if it does
Comments?
20 acres is much too large
The proposal needs to
a parcel. 2.5 to 5 acres is
be strengthened
more realistic
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
13. Hours? Should the
No
Yes
Yes
county regulate the hours of
operation of home
occupations?
If so, should this occur as
proposed in the proposal
before the Board?
If not, how would you
propose to address this?
Comments?
Noise is a big factor, so it
What happens inside the
depends on the impact to
house does not need to
neighbors
be regulated if it does
not bother the
neighborhoods
Exhibit__
Page 5 of 7 Page of I
Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
14. Inspection? Should
No
Undecided
Yes
the county require an
annual inspection for an
approved home
occupation?
Car repair, the kinds of
If yes, should this occur with
Maybe
all home occupations that
negative impacts on
require a permit (Type 2
neighbors
and 3)?
Let's talk
Any home occupations?
No
Comments?
Annual inspections require
I support the proposal
regarding trips, employees,
staff. This should be
screening of outside
complaint driven only
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
15. Excluded Uses?
Undecided
Yes
Undecided
Should certain use be
excluded from consideration
as home occupations?
If yes, what uses are you
Car repair, the kinds of
thinking of?
things that create too much
negative impacts on
neighbors
In certain zones?
Let's talk
If no, what limitations
besides those proposed
regarding trips, employees,
screening of outside
storage etc. would you
propose?
Comments.
The proposal is a good
start
Page 6 of 7
Exhibit E
Page _ of //
Commissioner Responses to Home Occupation Questionnaire
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
16. Processing? Should
Undecided
Yes
Undecided
the county examine the
processing of conditional
use permits in conjunction
with considering changing
the rules for home
occupations?
Comments?
Convince me
More complicated uses
above)?
should have more
What ideas do you have for
complicated processes
Question Daly DeWolf Luke
17. Code Enforcement?
Undecided
Yes
Yes
Should the county re-
examine its current policy
for code enforcement in
relation to home
occupations?
If so, should this include
annual inspections (See 14
above)?
What ideas do you have for
improving compliance
through code enforcement?
Comments?
I look forward to the
It's all timing...
discussions
Exhibit E
Page 7 of 7 Page _/ CI) of /(
Summary of Board of County Commissioners May 14, 2003
Work Session on Home Occupations
At 9:00 a.m. on May 14, 2003, the Board of County Commissioners conducted a work session
on proposed changes to the County Zoning Ordinance regulations on home occupations. The
Board conducted this work session after completing a questionnaire asking 17 questions of
each commissioner on the issues brought up in public testimony on the proposed changes.
Areas of Consensus
The Board agreed on the following issues:
1. Create three (3) tiers of home occupations. One of these (Type 1) should be permitted
outright. Type 2 and Type 3 home occupations would have different fees and processing
requirements.
2. Change regulations
3. Allow some home occupations to have employees
4. Type 3 home occupations can have outside storage of equipment and materials with
limitations.
5. Clarify definition of home occupation — working from home.
6. Limit home occupations to a dwelling and/or a residential accessory structure
7. Allow home occupations to engage in incidental sales (e.g. hair stylist that sells hair care
products).
8. Develop a definition and/or standards to address parking and/or storing of vehicles and
equipment of a certain size — to address businesses that work "off-site."
9. Limit floor area devoted to home occupation for Types 2 and 3, as proposed by the Planning
Commission. Do not limit floor area for a Type 1 home occupation.
Next Work Session Discussion Issues,
1. Limiting daily trips for home occupations under Types 2 and 3
2. Regulating hours of operation
3. Re-examining County code enforcement policy and procedures
4. Adopting a property size standard for home occupations
5. Requiring inspections with certain home occupations
6. Excluding certain uses from consideration as home occupations
Next Steps
Staff will coordinate with Bonnie Baker to schedule the Board's next work session. We will
notify all participants in this process of the time, date, and location for the next work session.
Staff anticipates that the Board will hold one or two more work sessions on this mater and will
then hold another public hearing on a final Board proposal for public review and testimony.
Staff will also notify the participants in this process of the time, date, and location of the next
public hearing before the Board of Commissioners on the next draft proposal.
Exhibit E
Page/(of�(
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
JULY 22, 2003 PUBLIC HEARING ON HOME OCCUPATIONS
Tina Lyons
PO Box 2249
Lapine, OR 97739
(541) 536-5466
-Our garbage company sent out a flyer with tips on proper disposal which includes
"NO commerciallbusiness waste, medical waste, radioactive waste or explosives."
If businesses are located in residential areas, this might be a problem we haven't
considered yet.
-Again, the infrastructure of the downtown cores are going to be jeaopardized by
allowing home occupations in rural residential areas.
I will be referring to the July 15 Staff Report, the Minutes of the June 22 Work
Session and the Board Hearing Draft in the following comments.
TYPE 1
1) Staff report and June 22 Minutes both indicate that Type I will have no impacts.
How can anyone say 5 trips a day has no impact?
The traffic and dust alone may ruin some of the quality of life for other
residents.
The trips generate dust on our non -paved roads, no matter how slow you
go.
Yet in the proposed ordinance, no dust can be produced by the home
occupation. If the trips to the home occupation produce dust, then isn't the
home occupation producing dust?
Therefore type 1 home occupations cannot be granted outright to
people who reside on non -paved roads.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, the county does not maintain the non -paved roads
in rural Deschutes County. How can the county allow business
activity on privately maintained roads? Does the county have that
kind of legal jurisdiction?
I posed this question in the last public hearing and the Planning
Division said the impact on the privately maintained roads would be
addressed in the CUP. But no CUP is necessary for Type 1 and so
Exhibit r
Page of _3
this issue is not being addressed.
***The language needs to be changed to 0 trips per day for Type 1,
or allow some trips per day on only county -maintained roads.
2) By deleting the 25°x6 floor space requirement, there would not be a
measureable standard. If It was limited to 111500 sq. ft., then when the business
grew to Type 2, it would be an easier transition.
3) Building and safety codes along with Enviornmental Health standards should
also be required to be met in Type 1 to ensure public safety.
4)The intention of Type 1 is to capture sole proprietors, although that is not the
language in the proposed code.
TYPE 2
1) 1 think the language "shall be conducted in such a way that is compatible with
the residential character, or in resource zones, resource -oriented character of its
location" should still be included in the code, and not deleted. This is a
fundamental issue that should be considered with a CUP and an appeal process_
2) Regarding item 2 a) A 112 acre is not large enough because many of the
existing 1/2 acre parcels have standard septic systems on them and they are not
100' from the wells. This is why the "new neighborhood" is being developed.
Public health safety regarding water quality oil 112 acre parcels is an area of
great concern.
There is not enough room on a 112 acre parcel, given the septic system and
reserve area required for "adequate parking."
***The language needs to be changed to "at least 1 acre in size."
3) Regarding Type 2, item 2 h) where it talks about "no external changes.... that
would give the outward appearance of a business" is good, but it conflicts with
item 2 k) which allows a sign. Why allow a sign if you don't want it to look like a
business? Signs destroy the rural character.
***The language in 2 k) should be changed to read, no sign is permitted.
4) The discussion about other requirements by the Fire Dept., for example, does
need to be addressed. My neighbors got a Facilities Permit from the Oregon
Board of Health Licensing, which states they also need to follow city or County Exhibit t
regulations as well. But the State did not notify the County of the licensure, and Page �— off
3
there is no communication or continuity.
what's happening in the different zones,
followed.
Agencies do need to notify eachother of
so that all applicable laws will be
5) Trips that are generated by home occupations on privately maintained roads
needs to be addressed.
TYPE 3
1) Trips that are generated by home occupations home occupations on privately
maintained roads needs to be addressed.
IN CONCLUSION:
The Code Enforcement is currently not acting on any Complaints on home
occupations, including mine. Linda Larson says she has about 5 complaints that
are waiting for the home occupation regulations "be relaxed."
In the minutes from the last work session, Mr. DeWolf told Frank Pennock to "file
a code enforcement complaint and we'll follow-up on it. That isn't going to
change." Mr. Luke said "you might as well start it now, and at the end of a year
you'll be satisfied." This does not appear to be true. Why aren't the codes being
enforced now?
With Code Enforcement not enforcing the current code, we are at a stand still.
believe this applies undue pressure to the Commissioners to make a decision
soon. I do not think it is wise to change the laws and see how it goes and then
change them again. Careful thought is necessary to avoid appeals and legal
procedings.
The laws don't have to change, this is an exploratory process, one that is very
complicated, affecting so many different types of people and their desires. i go
back to the State's original philosophy, of keeping the commercial areas
commercial and rural areas rural.
Thank you so much for your consideration.
Exhibit F
Page 3 of 3