[Amended 11-21-2023, approved 12-15-2023; 11-19-2024, eff. 1-1-2025]
A home office, home occupation or rural home business, as defined in Article 3, Definitions, of these regulations, shall be permitted as an accessory use in those zones set forth in Article 5, Use Regulations, of these regulations, subject to the issuance of a certificate of zoning compliance by the Zoning Agent in accordance with the following standards and criteria:
A.
Permits required. A home office, home occupation or rural home business as defined by these regulations is permitted in accordance with the table below (§ 315-11.01F).
(1)
Home occupation by certificate of zoning compliance may be reviewed and issued in accordance with § 315-20.04.
(2)
Home occupations and/or rural home businesses by special permit shall be reviewed and may be issued in accordance with Article 13.
(3)
Any home office which does not comply with the requirements of Tier 1 of § 315-11.01F shall seek approval as a home occupation.
(4)
Any home occupation which does not comply with the requirements of Tier 2 of § 315-11.01F shall seek approval as a rural home business.
B.
General requirements. In addition to the requirements of the table below (§ 315-11.01E), any home business conducted within a building or on a parcel for which the primary use is residential shall meet the following criteria:
(1)
The person or persons conducting the operation shall reside on the subject site. Unless a special permit has been issued by the Commission, there shall be no more than two nonresident persons engaged in the conduct of the home occupation.
(2)
The home business shall be clearly secondary, subordinate, and incidental to the residential use of the property, and it shall not impair the residential character of the premises and neighborhood.
(4)
Any home business shall use a safe and suitable access which will not create traffic hazards on Town or state roads.
(5)
Any approval issued for a home business pursuant to this section shall be issued to the occupant of the dwelling at the time such permit is requested for the specific business described. While the right to continue the operation of such accessory use is acknowledged, given that such approval has been granted to the occupant of the dwelling unit, any changes to the statement of use shall require a new approval.
(6)
Any family child-care home or group child-care home as defined by C.G.S. § 19a-77 (as amended) shall only comply with the standards set forth by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood and shall not be subject to the additional requirements established above.
C.
Information required. In addition to any requirements of Article 13, Special Permit/Exception, or Article 20, Administration and Enforcement, the following shall be submitted to determine compliance with this section:
(1)
A detailed statement describing all pertinent aspects of the proposed activity and acknowledging the requirements of this section.
(2)
An accurately drawn plot plan (to scale), or a sketch with pertinent dimensions, depicting property lines, structure locations, access drive(s), parking spaces, screening (existing and proposed), and any other pertinent features.
(3)
An accurately drawn floor plan (to scale) depicting the area to be utilized by the proposed activity.
D.
Multiple home businesses.
(1)
A dwelling unit and/or parcel may contain two home offices or home occupations following the issuance of a certificate of zoning compliance.
(2)
A dwelling unit and/or parcel may contain two rural home businesses or one home occupation and one rural home business on the same parcel following the issuance of a special permit.
E.
Previously issued approvals. Any approval for a home business which has been previously issued shall continue to be governed by said previous approval, provided such renewal is sought and obtained prior to the expiration of the current permit. Any previously issued approval which has expired shall be reviewed in accordance with these regulations (as may be amended).
F.
Permit approval table.
Business Type | Tier 1: Home Office | Tier 2: Home Occupation | Tier 3: Rural Home Business | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Approval Type | Not required | Certificate of zoning compliance | Special use permit | |||
Meetings Required | None | None | Public hearing | |||
Compliance Review | As needed | As needed | As determined by the Commission | |||
Property Type | Any | Any | Single-family | |||
Eligibility | R-80, DNC, DCR, DER | R-80 | ||||
Minimum Lot Size | None | None | 3 acres | |||
Prohibited Uses | Restaurants, or other eating or drinking places, dog kennels, animal hospitals, barbershop or beauty salon having more than 1 chair, automotive service, sales or repairs | |||||
Permitted Exterior Evidence | None | Shall involve no outside storage, or display of goods or materials, or other evidence other than a single permitted business or commercial vehicle | Limited visible evidence or indication of the operation may be permitted by the Commission | |||
Percent of Building Used for Occupation | Not to exceed 25% of livable floor area | Shall not occupy an area within the principal dwelling which is more than 50% of livable floor area of the home | Shall not occupy a total area within the principal dwelling or an accessory building which exceeds the livable floor area of the home | |||
Accessory Building(s) | None | Shall not exceed the footprint of the principal dwelling | As determined by the Commission | |||
Nonresident Employees | None | Not more than 2 | Not more than 4 | |||
Vehicles and Equipment | Business: | 1 | Business: | 3 | Business: | 4 |
Commercial: | None | Commercial: | 1 | Commercial: | 2 | |
Equipment: | None | Equipment: | 1 | Equipment: | 4 | |
Screening | N/A | Commercial vehicles and/or equipment associated with a home occupation or rural home business shall be stored in a building or visually screened | ||||
Visits from Members of the Public | None | Not to exceed 4 per day | As determined by the Commission | |||
Required Parking | None | 2, plus 1 per employee | As determined by the Commission | |||
Signage | None | Nonilluminated identification sign not greater than 2 sq. ft. | ||||