Mendocino County Municipal Code Ch. 20.448 Home Occupations

It is the intent of this Chapter to provide for the accessory use of a dwelling unit or accessory building(s) on the same parcel as the dwelling for gainful employment involving the manufacture, provision, or sale of goods and/or services. The use must be conducted by the residents of the dwelling unit, be clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the premises for residential purposes, and must not change the character thereof or adversely affect the residential or rural nature of the property or its surroundings. A use permit is not required to conduct a Home Occupation; however, such use shall be subject to all applicable regulations of this Division, such as off-street parking, and to all other permits required under the County Code, such as building permits, business licenses and coastal development permits, where the use constitutes "development" as defined in the Glossary and Coastal Zoning Code Section 20.308.035(D).

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991; Ord. No. 4149 (part), adopted 2005)

Home occupations shall conform to the following requirements:

(A) No person other than members of the family residing on the premises shall be engaged in the Home Occupation except that one (1) employee shall be permitted when the property on which the Home Occupation is located is a minimum of forty thousand (40,000) square feet.

(B) The Home Occupation shall be clearly incidental and subordinate to the use of the premises for residential purposes. All aspects of the Home Occupation, including storage, shall be conducted entirely within the dwelling unit or enclosed accessory building(s) on the premises. The total area used for the Home Occupation shall not exceed six hundred forty (640) square feet.

(C) There shall be no change, resulting from the Home Occupation, in the outside appearance of the building or premises, or other visible evidence of the conduct of such occupation, other than one (1) nonilluminated sign not exceeding two (2) square feet of area.

(D) The sale of merchandise not produced on the premises (except mail order businesses) shall be clearly incidental and accessory to the merchandise or service produced by the Home Occupation, and shall not be advertised in any manner.

(E) Not more than ten (10) customers or clients shall come to the premises for services or products during any one (1) day, restricted to the hours 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Not more than three (3) delivery vehicles shall access the premises each day.

(F) Home occupations shall not involve the use of heavy commercial vehicles for delivery of materials to or from the premises.

(G) No mechanical or electrical equipment shall be employed other than machinery or equipment typical of the type or specifications used in a hobby or a vocation customarily conducted within the confines of a dwelling unit.

(H) No equipment or process used shall create noise, vibration, glare, fumes, dust, odors, smoke, electrical interference or other impacts in excess of those customarily generated by single-family residential uses in the neighborhood.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991; Ord. No. 4149 (part), adopted 2005)

The following are typical examples of uses which often can be conducted within the limits of the restrictions established in this Division and thereby qualify as Home Occupations. Uses which qualify as Home Occupations are not limited to those named in this paragraph (nor does this listing of a use in this section automatically qualify it as a Home Occupation). Home occupations shall be limited to uses customarily and appropriately conducted within a dwelling unit, notwithstanding allowances for the conduct of Home Occupations within an accessory building:

(A) Artists and sculptors;

(B) Authors and composers;

(C) Babysitters;

(D) Beauticians and barbers, limited to one (1) chair;

(E) Dressmaking, seamstress and tailors;

(F) Home crafts, such as model making, rug weaving, lapidary work or ceramics;

(G) Repair or fix-it shop for items normally found in or around the home;

(H) Office facility of an architect, attorney, broker, consultant, dance instructor, doctor, dentist, engineer, instructor in arts and crafts, insurance agent, land or marine surveyor, music instructor, real estate agent, tutor, bookkeeper or accountant;

(I) Off-site service providers;

(J) Food and beverage preparation without consumption;

(K) Mail order businesses.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991; Ord. No. 4149 (part), adopted 2005)