Polk County Commissioners will consider next month amending the county’s zoning ordinance to change the wording for parking requirements for home occupations.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Jan. 6 and set a public hearing for Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.
The drafted parking requirements for both home occupations I and home occupations II read, “parking necessary to conduct business shall be provided. Parking must be off-street and on-site. Parking must be screened so as to obstruct views of the parking area from adjacent properties, streets or roadways, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood.”
The county approved a second class of home occupations, home occupations class II, in August 2013.
The county did not approve parking requirements for home occupations II when it approved the use so commissioners asked the planning board to draft requirements. The recommendation for both class I and class II home occupations were unanimously approved by the planning board in October.
The current class I home occupations parking requirement calls for two spaces in addition to residence requirements.
If commissioners approve the planning board’s recommendation, the new parking requirement will apply to both home occupations I and home occupations II.
Last year the county decided to implement a new use for home occupations II so residents in the Multiple Use (MU), Equestrian (E) and Agriculture Residential (AR5) could use an accessory building for home occupations.
Commissioners agreed to allow a 2,500-square-foot building if the property owner has one and ½ acres of land or less and to allow up to a 4,000-square-foot building on anything greater than one and ½ acre.
Home occupations class II also allows up to four non-resident employees.