VILLA PARK : Rules on Home-Based Businesses Updated

The City Council has passed amendments to a city law that controls businesses in homes.

The changes, adopted last week, came in response to some residents’ complaints about home businesses creating too much pedestrian and vehicular traffic in neighborhoods.

City Manager Fred Maley told the council that home businesses are not a major problem.

“We receive relatively few complaints, and almost always they’re about an increase in traffic,” Maley said.

City officials proposed that the council amend the existing ordinance so that it would forbid more than six vehicle trips and six pedestrians a day at any home business.

Some residents who testified at the meeting protested that the number would be too restrictive. A majority on the council agreed.

“I think we want to be very, very careful about limits on home occupations,” Councilman Bob Bell said. “They’re becoming more prevalent.”

The council approved a change that states vehicle traffic due to home businesses should not become more than “normal.” Council members said that would allow flexibility in dealing with any neighborhood problems.

Another change approved by the council included a ban on the “dispatching of persons, vehicles or equipment from the premises pursuant to the conduct of a home occupation.”