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Mr. Zimmerman agreed that there is a difference of opinion when it comes to <br />home occupations. He believes people need 1 or 2 years to get their <br />businesses up and running in their homes before they move into the <br />business district. If the concern is for commercial taxes, all home <br />occupations should be taxed commercially for that portion of the home used <br />for business purposes. P&Z has been very specific in home occupation terms <br />to be sure the business activity will not be visible outside of the home. <br /> <br />Mayor Reimann stated that there should be a set policy to discourage home <br />occupations because it is a real burden on the City to police home <br />occupations when they begin to violate nuisance ordinances. A few of the <br />home occupations that can be handled within the home are word processing, <br />tax accounting, etc. The problems arise when the business activity is <br />allc~ed to take place in garages. The City should establish a track record <br />of not allowing businesses in residential areas; residents should not be <br />subjected to the noise and traffic associated with business activity. <br /> <br />Fz. Zi~nerman stated that people move to cities with larger lots to have <br />freedom for more activity; Council has denied home occupations that are <br />contained within the home. <br /> <br />Mayor Reimann replied that there has to be a limit as to what people can do <br />on their property; denial of home occupations with no visible outside <br />activity was most likely due to the business being a traffic attractant. <br /> <br />Councilmember COx stated that there is a difference of opinion because P&Z <br />sees the people wanting home occupations and Council hears from the people <br />complaining about home occupation activities. Businesses operating out of <br />homes areldrawing business away from those that are operating in <br />appropriate districts and paying commercial rates. <br /> <br />Councilm~ber Pearson stated that he attended a government services seminar <br />in which it was mentioned that as long as a home occupation is not <br />disturbing the neighborhood, it cannot be stopped; home occupations can be <br />made unattractive by increasing their taxes. <br /> <br />Mayor Reimann stated that the City has problems it has been dealing with <br />for 15 years as a result of home occupations; some cases take as long as 3 <br />years to settle. <br /> <br />Mr. Hendriksen stated that P&Z spent a lot of time writing zoning <br />regulations that could be enforced consistently but are not. On January 27 <br />Mr. Dick Carson, in accordance with proper procedures and fees, approached <br />the Board of Adjustment for a variance to side yard setbacks; that same <br />evening another person (Mr. Hickman) got a variance from Council through <br />channels that don't appear in Ramsey's regulations. When there is more <br />than one avenue to accomplish the same goal, it throws the whole system <br />off. <br /> <br />Councilmember Cox stated that the Hickman case did not come before P&Z <br />until after the building was built. <br /> <br />Joint City Council-Planning & Zoning/February 17, 1987 <br /> <br />Page 2 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br />