City Council will consider changes to rules for homes that serve as a workplace

Published 12:00 am Monday, March 16, 2015

By David Purtell

david.purtell@salisburypost.com

Salisbury City Council will consider a change to the city’s Land Development Ordinance during Tuesday’s meeting.

Last month, the city’s Planning Board approved changes to language in a section of the ordinance regarding people whose homes also serve as a place for their work — “Home Occupation” is how the ordinance refers to it.

The changes deal only with home occupation in single-family homes.

One change in the language states a home occupation shall occupy no more than 300 square feet of the “gross living area” in the home, excluding finished or unfinished basements or accessory structures.

Also, oversized commercial vehicles and utility trailers, as defined by municipal ordinance, shall not be permitted in connection with a home occupation.

Another change states: excluding a basement or accessory building, goods or products associated with the occupation cannot be visible from the street or an adjacent residential property.

A new subsection states: “Except for equipment or materials of a type and quantity that could reasonably be associated with the principal residential use,”  outdoor storage of items associated with the home occupation is not allowed in strictly residential areas.

But in areas that are zoned Residential Mixed-Use, Institutional Campus and Manufactured Home Development, items can be stored in the back yard as long as they can’t be seen from the street or a adjacent property. In Rural Residential areas, items can be stored outside as long they can’t be seen from the street or adjacent residential property.

A public hearing on the changes will be held during the meeting.

City Council meets Tuesday at 4 p.m. at City Hall.

In other business Tuesday, council will:

• Hear public comments and presentations on budget requests from community organizations such as the Rufty-Holmes Senior Center.

• Consider adopting a resolution authorizing a sole-source maintenance contract with Motorola Solutions regarding the city’s radio system. The contract is for six years and totals $1.11 million.

• Consider several appointments to city boards and commissions.Terms for a majority of board and commission seats expire March 31.