STANTON : New Fees OKd for In-Home Businesses

Operating a business from a home will cost $25 to $100 a year under new fees approved by the City Council this week.

The amount of the fee will depend on the type of business and the amount of regulation the business requires, Planning Manager Mark Lloyd said.

The fees were set as part of a massive overhaul of the city’s residential zoning codes to provide better regulation of businesses that operate from homes, such as mail-order businesses, plumbing and house painting.

However, businesses which increase traffic, employ a non-resident or change the appearance of a building will not be permitted. Also forbidden are businesses such as auto repair and carpentry.

Under the new fee system, typing, bookkeeping and similar businesses that are unlikely to affect the surrounding neighborhood will pay a one-time fee of $25, according to the resolution passed Tuesday.

Businesses which are more strictly regulated and require a home-use permit, including carpet cleaning, plumbing and landscaping, will be assessed $100.