Regulations pertaining to home occupations are designed to protect and maintain the residential character of a neighborhood while permitting certain limited commercial activities.

   1.   Restrictions on Home Occupations. The following requirements must be met for an activity or occupation to qualify as a home occupation.

      A.   The occupation or activity must be clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the premises as a dwelling. The occupation or activity shall not occupy more than 25 percent of the floor area of a building, not to exceed 400 square feet.

      B.   The occupation or activity must be carried on wholly within a main building or approved accessory building.

      C.   No stock in trade or food or commodities may be sold on the premises as a primary source of income.

      D.   No external alterations or special construction of the premises can be done. No exterior indication, except for the permitted sign, that the building is being used for any purpose other than a dwelling shall exist.

      E.   No occupations or activities are permitted which are noxious, offensive, or hazardous by reason of pedestrian or vehicular traffic or by creation of noise, odor, refuse, heat, vibration, smoke, dust, glare, radiation, or other objectionable emissions or by interference with television or radio reception.

      F.   No substantial volumes of vehicular traffic or parking demand shall be created.

      G.   No advertising sign shall be displayed except for an unlighted name plate flat against the building not exceeding two square feet in area, stating only the resident’s name and occupation.

      H.   There shall be no off-premises signs, radio, television, newspaper, handbill, or similar advertisement linking the premises with the home occupation. The advertisement of the home occupation within a telephone directory, excluding the address, is permitted. Also permitted is the advertisement of the resident’s name, home occupation, and phone number only within a newspaper.

      I.   The activity shall not involve any outside storage nor in any way create, outside the building, any external evidence of the operation.

   2.   Activities Permitted. Permitted home occupations include, but are not limited to, the following list of activities; provided, however, that each permitted home occupation is subject to the limitations in the preceding division and to all other applicable regulations to the district in which it is located.

      A.   Studio of an artist, photographer, craftsman, writer, or composer;

      B.   A family day care facility operating under the provisions of Chapter 237A of the Code of Iowa. An exception is hereby established in the case of family day care facilities under Chapter 237A of the Code of Iowa. The exception pertains to the restriction that only resident members of the family can be employed on the premises. Where Chapter 237A of the Code of Iowa requires additional employees, those employees may be nonresidential, non-members of the family, provided a member or members of the family are the licensed or registered party and are in charge of the family day care facility. Inspection by the Fire Chief of all family day care facilities is required;

      C.   Domestic service activities such as sewing, tailoring, and laundering;

      D.   Pet clipping;

      E.   Barber shop and beauty shop;

      F.   Carpentry shop, cabinet making, upholstering, furniture repair, refinishing, sign making, or other similar occupations;

      G.   Home-based businesses where the service is provided off-premises;

      H.   Sale of real estate or insurance;

      I.   Office of a physician or dentist for consultation or emergency treatment, but not for general professional practice;

      J.   Teaching, limited to not more than six pupils at one time;

      K.   Telemarketing, computer programming, and repair and services provided over the internet; and

      L.   Mail order businesses where products are shipped directly from the supplier to the customer.

   3.   Parking. Off-street parking, other than in a front yard, shall be provided for all home occupations. At least four off-street parking spaces are required for barber shops and beauty shops; all other uses shall comply with the parking requirements found in Section 165.25.

   4.   Variance. Variances from the requirements under this section shall be heard by the Board of Adjustment.