HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Home Occupation to operat a Professional Office Home Business as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) at 1535 Maxwell AvenueCITY OF AMES, IOWA
ZONING BOARD OF ADJUS
JUL 01 2020
IN THE MATTER OF THE ---
APPLICATION OF DEBORAH
MCINTOSH FLAHERTY, FOR A CASE NO.20-27
SPECIAL HOME OCCUPATION
PERMIT, SECTION 29.1304 OF THE GEOCODE NO. 05-35-452-020
AMES MUNICIPAL CODE, TO OPERATE
A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE HOME DECISION & ORDER
BUSINESS AS A CERTIFIED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTANT (CPA) AT THE
PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1535
MAXWELL AVENUE
FACTS
Applicant Deborah McIntosh Flaherty is seeking a Special Home Occupation Permit requesting
allowance to operate a professional office home business as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
from the two-family residential property located at 1535 Maxwell Avenue in the RL Zoning
District.
Planner Eloise Sahistrom introduced the request and provided an overview of the proposed home
occupation, applicable law, and staff s Findings of Fact and Conclusions. Applicant is currently
practicing as a CPA with a Special Home Occupation permit at 609 201h Street. However, she
plans to move to 1535 Maxwell and wishes to relocate her existing business. The unit at 1535
Maxwell Avenue includes approximately 830 square feet of floor area. The home office area will
occupy approximately 165 square feet or just less than 20 percent of the total floor area of the
unit. No modifications to the home are being proposed for use by the business.
The Applicant indicated that the proposed hours of operation will be: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from
May -December and 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from January -April, by appointment only. The
Applicant indicates that appointments range in duration from 30 minutes to occasionally two hours
or more. The maximum number of scheduled appointments per day is seven to eight. Many of
these appointments are via teleconferencing or internet conferencing. Those appointments that are
in -person will result in less than the 10 maximum vehicular trips allowed per day. Two or more
clients are not expected to visit the premises concurrently so designating where clients will park is
not required. The driveway will accommodate one stacked parking space beyond the required
residential parking spaces and on -street parking is available on both Maxwell Avenue and 16th
Street in front of the residence.
Ms. 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, which states that the Board may approve the request for a
Special Home Occupation to allow the Applicant to proceed with a Certified Public Accountant
professional office at 1535 Maxwell Avenue subject to the home occupation being operated as
described in the Staff Report.
Applicant Deborah McIntosh Flaherty, 609 201h Street, Ames, Iowa, was sworn in and testified
under oath. Ms. Flaherty stated that she had been through this process before. She stated that her
residence in Ames is her second residence, and that her primary residence is out of state. She is in
Iowa more frequently January through April, and the rest of the year as needed.
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.
11_'1_11-11
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 professional
office home business as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from the two-family residential
property located at 1535 Maxwell Avenue.
Any person desiring to appeal this decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days after the
filing of this decision.
Done this 10"' day of June 2020.
Diane Voss
City Clerk
C�- (�_ L__
Amelia Schoeneman
Chair