Cohousing-L Mailing List: Experience with allowing Home Based Businesses with Clients

[Kathy Icenogle (kathy.icenogle]

Our community (Washington Village) is currently debating whether to
allow one of our members to run an acupuncture business in her second
bedroom... the issue is that her business involves client's (approx 20
per week, one at a time - so not really a traffic problem).

Some of our residents have a concern that this will impact their sense
of privacy and/or property value (e.g. if we lose our "residential
feel").  Others are saying "There's a good reason HOAs don't allow
businesses." ... and concerns about setting precedents ("if we grant
one waiver, we'll have to grant too many waivers or we'llb e sued)
I'm trying to argue that we are not a regular HOA... in theory, our
members value their relationship with each other and the community...
and the Member/Business Oowner impacted by this policy is very
reasonable.

If your community allows home-based businesses, have there been any
problems?... if so, what advice would you offer on how to avoid such
problems.

If your community had a negative experience with home businesses that
serve clients, I would like to hear about that... were you able to
reverse your policy/agreement on that?

Do you think the community context causes home businesses to be more
reasonable in one context (e.g. rural) vs. another (e.g. urban.)  Our
community is located in a relatively dense urban location. So
parking/traffic and privacy interests are reasonable concerns. We do
have plans to have two commercial units in the community. Zoning
restricts the type of businesses that are possible to non-retail... we
have no customer parking, other than what is available on the street.

Thank you for any and all advice on this matter,
Kathy Icenogle
Washington Village, Boulder, CO

PS - I did my best to look through the message archives on this... but
it seems like the question still bears some discussion.