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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Home Occupation Permit to operate a Live Bait Business at 2508 Melrose AvenueCITY OF AMPS, IOWA ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTME IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF MATTHEW SPEICHER, FOR A SPECIAL HOME OCCUPATION PERMIT, SECTION 29.1304 OF THE AMES MUNICIPAL CODE, TO OPERATE A LIVE BAIT BUSINESS AT THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2508 MELROSE AVENUE FACTS CITY CLEPH .OF AMES, I CASE NO. 20-26 GEOCODE NO. 05-34-226-110 DECISION & ORDER Applicant Matthew Speicher seeks a Special Home Occupation Permit to operate a live bait business as a home business from the single-family residential property located at 2508 Melrose Avenue in the RL Zoning District. Planner Eloise Sahlstrom introduced the request and provided an overview of the proposed home occupation, applicable law, and staff s Findings of Fact and Conclusions. The Applicant is proposing to use 375 square feet of his two -car garage for the business. The garage will hold all equipment and supplies. As indicated by the Applicant, appliances to keep bait at optimal temperature include an 84-inch Living Stream Mimlow Tank/aquarium which is approximately 190 gallons and a household upright refrigerator/freezer. Other equipment includes a 100-gallon Rubbermaid stock tank, vending machine storage (when not in seasonal use), and a table for packaging. Supplies include packaging materials, extra worm bedding, filters, chemicals, etc. The business will have an initial footprint no larger than 200 sq. ft. The remainder of the garage will be used for personal storage and the Applicant's vehicle. A small trailer used for moving vending machines will be stored outside of city limits when not in use. The residence includes approximately 1,821 square feet of floor area. Ten square feet of the interior of the house will be used for computer and paperwork processing for the business. The total business area requested is 385 square feet which is less than the maximum 25 percent of the floor area of the residence allowed. The Applicant describes his business operations as: • Raise, store and package bait on premises • Retail Sales - predominantly off -site in vending machines with limited on -site sales The Applicant indicates that he will initially be raising only worms and will later expand into raising minnows as well. He will purchase or catch other types of bait to expand his retail sales offerings as allowable by his DNR retail bait license. The majority of the retail sales will be through vending machines located off -site. A limited number of sales will occur at the house. These will be primarily friends and relatives. His intention is to send business to the vending machines and not to the house. The Applicant has full time employment (off -site) so business sales at the residence will be limited to before and after his full-time job and by appointment. No business sales will take place between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Appointments will result in less than the 10 maximum vehicular trips allowable per day. Stacked parking is available on the 88-foot driveway which can accommodate up to four cars in addition to the garage space for the Applicant's personal vehicle. On -street parking is also available but not needed. Planner Sahlstrom stated that based upon the staff s Findings of Fact and Conclusions, the Department of Planning and Housing recommends that the Zoning Board of Adjustment act in accordance with Alternative One in the Staff Report and approve the Applicant's request for a Special Home Occupation permit that would allow a live bait business at 2508 Melrose Avenue subject to the home occupation being operated as described in the Staff Report. Applicant Matt Speicher, 2508 Melrose Avenue, Ames, Iowa, was sworn in and testified under oath. Mr. Speicher wanted to tell the community that he had purchased quality equipment to ensure that there would be no smell. Mr. Speicher said he planned to have only one vending machine. He did not see any issues with traffic or smells or anything of that nature. DECISION The Board considered the facts as detailed above and provided in the Staff Report and found that all of the relevant standards in Section 29.1304 were met and established by the Applicant. WHEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the Applicant is GRANTED, pursuant to Ames Municipal Code Section 29.1304, a Special Home Occupation Permit to operate a live bait business on the property located at 2508 Melrose Avenue. Diane Voss City Clerk (1kW110,A Amelia Sehoeneman Chair