Home Occupations0 November 20, 1984
To: Zoning and Planning Commission
From: Nancy Anderson
Subject: Home Occupations
The Hopkins Zoning Ordinance allows home occupations in Residential
Districts. The type of occupation is not limited as long as the requirements
of the ordinance are met. The Hopkins Ordinance allows home occupations in
any dwelling or accessory building by family residents thereof, provided no
evidence of such activity is visible from the public street and no permanent
revolving inventory of merchandise is maintained and no material, equipment,
products or other items related to such home occupations are stored or dis-
played outside.
In contrast to the Hopkins Zoning Ordinance, Edina's Zoning Ordin-
ance allows only customary home occupations as an accessory use. The ordin-
ance has a list of specific uses that are not permitted as customary home
occupations. The ordinance states that repair services of all kinds, includ-
ing without limitation, auto repair and painting, appliance repair and small
engine repair shall specifically not be permitted as customary home occupations.
Eden Prairie does not specifically prohibit auto repair but unlike
Hopkins does prohibit a home occupation in an accessory structure. So in all
practicality an auto repair business as a home occupation would be impossible.
Eden Prairie's ordinance states that a home occupation shall not be conducted
in an accessory structure, and there shall be no storage of equipment or sup-
plies in an accessory structure or outside the dwelling.
Edina and Eden Prairie each deal with home occupations differently.
If the Commission feels that auto repair as a home occupation is a continuing
and re- occurring problem, Edina and Eden Prairie ordinances provide examples on
how the situation may possibly be dealt with.
The three sites that were complained about at the last Zoning and Plan-
ning meeting were investigated, one site was vacant and the other two sites had
no activity of an auto repair business.
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