Home-Based Business Bill Surfaces in Committee TODAY

Maui Council Chambers. File photo by Wendy Osher.

By Maui Now Staff

A bill that would permit and regulate home-based businesses in certain county zoning districts, surfaces for consideration before the Maui Planning Committee at 9 a.m. today, Sept. 5, 2013, in the Council Chamber.

Committee Chair Don Couch said he wants to encourage entrepreneurship and support residents who want to earn a living from home; however, he said, the county needs to address ‘nuisance’ operations and their potential impact on community character and quality of life for neighbors.

The purpose of the proposed bill as outlined in meeting agenda is to: establish standards and restrictions for the regulation of home-based businesses; establish home-based businesses as a permitted use in the residential, rural, and agricultural zoning districts; and classify home-based businesses as commercialized residential for real property tax purposes.

Couch said he hopes the committee can, “agree on allowable types of home-based businesses and appropriate regulations for particular operations.”

According to Couch, who introduced the bill two years ago, the bill places a restriction on auto repair businesses, by limiting them to work on two vehicles with combustion engines at any given time, restricting hours of operation, and limiting customers.

Recommendations made by respective island planning commissions included: prohibition of auto repairs and deleting restrictions on floor area limitations, retailing and deliveries on Maui; and recommending exempting Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi entirely from the legislation.