Home-Based Business Ordinance

In early 2006, the Plan Commission directed staff to initiate text amendments to the following sections of the zoning ordinance:

1. Boats, Snowmobiles on Trailers; Recreational Vehicles (Section 6-2-7);
2. Home Occupation Regulations (Section 6-2-8); and
3. Motor Vehicle Regulations in Residential Districts (Section 6-2-20).

These text amendments are included in the Planning Team’s prioritized Fiscal Year 2006-07 Work Program, which was approved by Council on June 20, 2006.

The subject code sections required amendment/updating because certain regulations are outdated as a result of the passage of time (the majority of the text in the current code was adopted in 1980), some of the regulations are unenforceable, and one specific regulation was deemed unconstitutional by the courts. The goal of these amendments is to uphold the character of residential neighborhoods, as well as provide clarity and enforceability through reasonable regulations in each of the focus areas.

The proposed amendments have been developed through a collaborative effort by the Planning and Code Enforcement Teams with significant input from the general public and a joint committee consisting of representatives from the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation and the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce ("NAHC/NACC Committee"). From the beginning of the process, city staff obtained external feedback to ensure the final regulations met the needs of the City's residents while also maintaining the city's primary intent of upholding the character of residential neighborhoods. Outside of four issues, which are philosophical in nature (i.e. more lenient language proposed by the NAHC/NACC Committee versus more defined language proposed by City staff), the Plan Commission, the NAHC/NACC Committee, and city staff are in substantial agreement with the intent of the overall regulations being presented to the City Council.

The City Council conducted a preliminary review of the proposed ordinances at their October 3, 2006 meeting. After extensive discussion and public input, the City Council continued the agenda item to their November 21, 2006, meeting. Prior to this meeting, staff will provide the City Council with any relevant new information, as well as a further breakdown of the proposed text amendments in order to better facilitate the decision making process.

A copy of the full case files are available for reviewing in the City Clerk's Office. Please reference case numbers: PC #1559, PC #1560, PC #1561.