Bartlett trustee obtains home occupation permit after controversy
Bartlett trustee Greg Martin, who has run an art business out of his home since 1998, only recently obtained the proper home occupation permit.
He said he began researching when one was needed after he was accused of not being in compliance with the village's zoning ordinance by supporters of former village President Michael Kelly, who were upset at his questioning of Kelly's slowness in paying property taxes.
“Technically I was in violation,” he said. “I didn't know all the ins and outs of Bartlett.”
Martin, who is the owner and sole employee of The Chameleon Artist, said last month that he recently applied for the permit, paid the one-time $50 fee and is now in compliance.
He said prior to the allegations, he thought all he needed to run his business — which he said includes creating art at his home and then selling it at art shows — was a tax ID.
“I had a tax ID before my first art show,” he explained, adding that while he has a studio in his house, he rarely has visitors come inside to view his work, which includes mixed media paintings and carved emu and ostrich eggs.
Community Development Director Jim Plonczynski said situations like Martin's are common. Many residents with home occupations simply do not know all the rules that surround running a business from home, he said. #8220;Any ordinance is like that,#8221; he said, adding that he estimates about 400 residents have home occupation permits. #8220;People aren't aware of a lot of sections.#8221;
Currently, residents with home occupations are not allowed to sell any commodity upon or from the premises and no more than one person, other than a member of the immediate family residing on the premises, can be employed.
The ordinance also states, among other guidelines, that no more than three pupils, clients or customers can be present in the home at the same time and that there cannot be a separate entrance for the business.
For months, village officials have been drafting revisions to sections of the village's zoning ordinance, including parts that address guidelines for home occupations. The changes could become permanent in the coming weeks.
#8220;We've changed quite a bit of it,#8221; Plonczynski said. #8220;It encourages more home occupations.#8221;
Plonczynski said one of the most significant proposed changes regarding home occupations is that business owners would be allowed to have up to 200 square feet of storage or inventory on the premises. The entire area used in a home for the home occupation will not be allowed to exceed 20 percent of the structure, or 400 square feet.
A public hearing on the changes to the village's zoning ordinance will be held at a zoning board of appeals meeting 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, at the Bartlett Municipal Center, 228 Main St.
If the board of appeals makes a recommendation to pass the draft of the ordinance, the village board may vote on the changes in February.
While Plonczynski wouldn't comment specifically on Martin's case, he said a general guideline is if Martin, or any other resident, is #8220;conducting a business in his home that is secondary to (the home's) principal use#8221; as a residence, a permit is required.
Plonczynski said that it's important for residents who do realize they need a home occupation permit to apply for one so their home occupation can be legitimized as a business.
#8220;We seek compliance,#8221; he said.