This section is intended to protect residential areas from potential adverse impacts of activities defined as home occupations without eliminating certain businesses and occupations that may be compatible with residential areas. Home occupations must be ancillary and secondary to the primary use as a residential dwelling. No home occupation may be conducted within a dwelling that is not being occupied as their primary place of residence by the person or persons operating the home occupation.

(Ord. No. 891, 04/27/2021)

Effective on: 4/27/2021

The following operations and/or uses are considered permitted in any district that allows household living:

1. Home sewing or tailoring.
2. Writing or editing, studios for painting, sculpting, ceramics, music, photography, or other similar arts.
3. Office for architects, engineers, realtors, accountants, or similar occupations and office related activities requiring a limited number of trips to the home.
4. Home office for persons engaged in marketing, distributing, and selling make-up, household goods, firearms (in accordance with all Federal, State, and local regulations), clothing, and similar materials.
5. Production of crafts such as handiwork, model-making, weaving, lapidary, and wood working.
6. Tutoring to no more than four (4) students at any one time.
7. Home-cooking, preserving and baking.
8. Computer programming, repair, internet services and similar occupations.
9. Mail order business where products are shipped directly from an off-site supplier to the customer.
10. In-home Child Care Home or Child Development Home, provided the following requirements are met:
    1. All Child Care Homes and Child Development Homes shall be registered and/or licensed, as required, with the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) and shall be in current, good standing.
    2. Child Development Homes registered as either a Category A, Category B, or Category C as defined by the DHS shall be permitted.
    3. All Child Care Homes and Child Development Homes shall follow all other requirements of this chapter, applicable zoning codes, and applicable building codes.
    4. No in-home child care service shall be allowed that does not meet items A through C above.
11. State licensed massage therapists having no age requirement for admittance and otherwise in compliance with the requirements of CHAPTER 127 of the City Code.
12. In-home beauty salon or barber.
13. Other uses and/or activities that are similar to the uses stated above or that conform to the intent of this chapter, as determined by the Zoning Administrator.

(Ord. No. 891, 04/27/2021)

Effective on: 4/27/2021

In addition to all the use limitations applicable to the district in which it is located, no home occupation shall be permitted unless it complies with the following restrictions:

1. Not more than one (1) person who is not a resident of the dwelling unit shall be employed and at least one resident of the premises shall be the primary operator of the home occupation(s).
2. Home occupations within any rental property must have landlord approval prior to operation.
3. No alteration of the principal residential building shall be made which changes the character and appearance thereof as a dwelling.
4. No home occupation shall be apparent to adjoining residences and from any public street.
5. There shall be no outdoor storage of equipment or materials used in the home occupation. Not more than one (1) vehicle and one fully enclosed cargo trailer, which is less than 17 feet in length, used in commerce in connection with any home occupation shall be parked on either the property or on public streets.
6. Off-street parking space shall be adequate to accommodate the parking demand generated by the home occupation(s).
7. Commercial signage shall be limited to one (1) unlighted sign not over one (1) square foot in area attached flat against the dwelling.
8. An average of no more than twenty-five (25) percent of the floor area of the dwelling unit shall be devoted to the home occupation(s), with the exception of a child care home or a child development home. The home occupation(s) shall be conducted entirely within the principal dwelling unit.
9. No mechanical, electrical, or other equipment which produces noise, electrical or magnetic interference, vibration, heat, glare, or other nuisance outside the residential or accessory structure.
10. No home occupation shall be noxious, offensive, or hazardous due to vehicular traffic generation or emission of noise, vibration, smoke, dust or other particulate matter, odorous matter, heat, humidity, glare, refuse, radiation, or other objectionable emissions.
11. Except for an in-home a child care home or a child development home (daycare), home-based businesses may generate a total of no more than 25 vehicle trips per day.
12. Product distribution, display, and sales (including product demonstrations and sales meetings) shall primarily occur off-site. Any on-site sales, product demonstrations, and product pick-ups by customers shall be by individual appointment only and shall not be permitted between the hours of 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. Customer visits shall be limited to no more than twelve (12) per day and no more than two (2) customers at one time.
13. Shall not cause an adverse impact on the neighborhood, as determined by the Zoning Administrator.

(Ord. No. 891, 04/27/2021)

Effective on: 4/27/2021