| Some on Sammamish City Council do not like proposed business rules The proposed code, crafted over several months by the Planning Commission, relaxes several hard-and-fast rules for home businesses, including restrictions on the square footage committed to business, the types of sales which can be made on-site and the minimum size of a property being used as a small business. "Most of those are home offices - maybe some are representatives for companies, maybe some are online businesses," Sogge said. Saturday and Sunday. "While I appreciate the concern that has been expressed about allowing certain kinds of businesses that sell guns or alcohol, I'm unsure it's very meaningful," Disend said. The council is due to vote on the updated regulations at their May 14 meeting. and 9 p. , while some councilmembers would prefer that appointment hours line up with the recently approved hours for door-to-door sales in the city - 9 a. Whitten said she was concerned about the prospect of someone selling, for example, vintage firearms from their house. "That's a big safety issue - do we really want to open the door to that kind of activity?" Whitten asked. "One of the most difficult things for people is when they are in conflict with their neighbors about use of a home," she said. Councilman Tom Vance echoed Whitten's concerns, saying the current code's requirements that less than half of floor space be committed to a small business helped "protect the integrity of neighborhoods. The council also addressed the hairy issue of products which are regulated by the state like firearms or alcohol. City Attorney Bruce Disend said carving out prohibitions for such sales could invite legal challenges. Census 1,639 residents reported working at home. More than 4,000 home businesses are registered with the city, though Community Development Director Kamuron Gurol said it's unclear if all those businesses are presently active. "People can usually deal with these sorts of things between neighbors," Curley said. during the week and 10 a. But businesses with a recognizable impact on the surrounding neighborhood - a winery or nursery that gets large shipments of merchandise or has lots of customers coming and going, for example - fall under the "Type 2" category and would have to apply for a conditional use permit, giving neighbors a chance to weigh in on the proposal. At a May 1 meeting, Councilwoman Nancy Whitten said she feared that the proposed regulations lean too far towards business owners at the expense of neighbors who may be impacted. to 7 p. Either way, the regulations likely affect thousands of residents in some way, he said. A majority of home office-types of businesses - an architect, consultant or lawyer, for example - would be classified as "Type 1" under the new code and would generally not be affected by the changes, aside from the hours during which they may have clients visit their home. Some on Sammamish City Council do not like proposed business rules |
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Some on Sammamish City Council do not like proposed business rules
