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Politics & Government

Village Board to Vote on Home Business Restrictions

One trustee thinks proposed ordinance is "much ado about nothing."

Proposed restrictions to home businesses were on the agenda Tuesday night during the village's Committee of the Whole meeting.

Trustees are expected Thursday night to approve an amendment to zoning laws that would restrict home businesses and how those businesses are allowed to run in LITH.

The restrictions could limit the number of people that gather within the home, the amount of space in a home that could be used for business purposes and the signage used to let people know the business is there.

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“… All facilities associated with a home occupation should not indicate that it is being used for anything else except a private dwelling,” said document that was part of trustee’s board packet at Tuesday night’s committee meeting. 

 The documents also stated that the footprint of the business inside the home could not exceed a quarter of the total floor space.

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“This is one of those ordinances that I don’t like,” Trustee Ray Bogdanowksi said. “It’s one that if somebody complains, then it will be enforced.

“This all started because some car in one of our neighborhoods got run into and no one would own up. Then it came out that this person driving the car was going to a home that had a lot of business traffic," Bogdanowksi went on to say.

Bogdanowski said he would probably vote in favor of the zoning amendment when it comes before the board on Thursday but added that it was “much ado about nothing.”

It is also proposed, under the amendment, that no more than eight visitors per day be allowed in a home, which will include meetings of Boy Scouts, church groups and students taking piano lessons. And days available for visits will be limited to four times per month.

Visitors would also not be allowed to park in such a way that would disrupt the flow of neighborhood traffic.

No direct sales of products would be allowed from residential homes. But businesses gathered for “Mary Kay and Tupperware” parties would be allowed.

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