MONTROSE -- The newly formed Home Base Business Association urged more than 350 people at a Tuesday night workshop to take a stand on proposed amendments to Montrose County's home occupation zoning resolution.
Bob Goodhue, the association's secretary, asked those who attended the meeting at Friendship Hall to put their concerns in writing so the Montrose Board of County Commissioners would understand the adverse impact of the amendments.
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None of the county commissioners or county land-use staff attended the workshop, which was the first in a series of informational meetings about the proposed home occupation amendments to be held throughout the area over the next several weeks.
The next workshop is slated for Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Olathe Community Center with additional meetings to follow in the West End and Maher at dates and locations to be determined.
The Home Base Business Association plans to present the Montrose County Planning Commission with data gathered from the workshops on Oct. 28.
Several planning commission members attended Tuesday night's workshop.
Following the meeting, John Duncan, a member of the planning commission, criticized county officials for attempting to change the home occupation regulations.
"I really think elected (county) officials and several appointed officials are asleep at the switch," he said. "They are not accountable to anybody."
County commissioners have requested that the planning commission review proposed zoning resolution amendments for home occupations.
County officials believe the current zoning resolution for home occupations, which was adopted in 1994, prohibits too many uses and is too vague to be enforced.
There are also inconsistencies within the resolution, according to Montrose County Attorney Jim Fritze.
For example, the resolution prohibits home occupations from generating vehicular traffic not normally associated with residential use, which is an unrealistic requirement, he has said.
Under the proposed amendments the following operations would not be considered home occupations, nursing or medical clinics; doctors' or dentists' offices; restaurants; vehicle, trailer, and boat repair or painting; animal hospitals or kennels; appliance repair; art or photo studios; radio dispatch centers; and private schools.
The proposed amendments also call for home businesses to obtain a nontransferable conditional use permit from the county that would be valid for three years.
In addition, a home businesses would not be allowed to have more than 10 customers or clients during a 24-hour period, according to the proposal.
John Brooks, a Montrose attorney representing the Home Base Business Association, said during Tuesday night's meeting an attempt is being made to overhaul the existing regulations and alter the notion that home based businesses are a valuable resource.
The Home Base Business Association is particularly concerned by the proposal to replace the use-by-right provision for home occupations with a conditional use permitting process, he said.
During last night's meeting, several area home business owners expressed outrage at attempts by county officials to change the current regulations.
Carl Hunton, who operates a recreational vehicle repair shop at his home near Montrose, said the proposed amendments infringe on the rights of future home business operators.
"Your granddaughter, niece or nephew may want to start a business someday," he told the crowd. "If you give up that right, they may never have a business in Montrose County."
Terry Burnell, who operates a concrete contracting business from his Montrose area home, said he has a simple solution for skirting a provision in the proposed amendments that would prohibit him from parking heavy equipment at his residence.
"I'll be parking my dump truck in a county commissioners' yard," he quipped.
Contact Scott Schwebke via e-mail at scotts@montrosepress.com.
Kaitlyn Heichel wrote on Nov 3, 2009 2:01 PM:
Sarah Bond wrote on Jul 13, 2009 5:31 PM: