Bed & Breakfast Special Home Occupation Application Packet 1. Application Packet. The Application Packet for a Special Home Occupation Permit to allow a Bed and Breakfast includes the following: Application Form (This form must be completed for all applications) Supporting Information (Each standard listed must be addressed) Site Plan Checklist (Use this checklist to prepare the Site Plan) Permission to Place a Zoning Action Pending Sign on Private Property (This form must be signed by the property owner) Adjoining Property Owner Statement (Completion of this form is optional) Be sure to complete and submit all the required materials that are part of this Application Packet. Failure to do so will result in a delay in accepting your application until it is complete. 2. Zoning Board of Adjustment Meetings. Within three days after the application is received, staff will determine if the application is complete and notify the applicant. Once staff has determined it is complete, staff will contact the applicant to discuss the application, including possible timelines for Board consideration. The Zoning Board of Adjustment conducts a public hearing, considers the recommendation of the Planning and Housing staff and makes the final decision, based on the standards in the Ordinance. The Board meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Additional meetings may be held on the fourth Wednesday of the month, April through October. The Board must approve, deny, or modify the Special Use Permit application within 60 days of the public hearing. For more information about the review process and schedule, please see the Development Review Information page on the City web site at www.cityofames.org. 3. Submittal and Filing Fee. The complete application and filing fee must be submitted to the Department of Planning and Housing. All required information and materials must be filed with the: Department of Planning and Housing Room 214, City Hall 515 Clark Avenue Ames, Iowa 50010 The filing fee is required at the time the application is submitted. The amount of the filing fee is available from the Department of Planning and Housing. 4. Site Plan. The applicant shall submit a Site Plan, drawn to scale, that clearly shows the property proposed for the Bed and Breakfast. The Site Plan shall be a reproducible, black line drawing on a sheet of paper no larger than 11 x 17. 5. Photos and Exhibits. Materials submitted with the application or presented as evidence during the public hearing will not be returned and must be kept as part of the public record. 1
6. Notification. The City will mail a notice to all property owners within 200 feet of the property that an appeal for a Special Home Occupation Permit has been filed, and a sign will be placed on the property indicating that a Zoning Action is pending. This notification is done so that concerned individuals will have an opportunity to learn about what is being proposed and can present information on this matter to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHILE COMPLETING THIS APPLICATION PLEASE CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND HOUSING OR THE CITY CLERK S OFFICE. Department of Planning and Housing: 515-239-5400 Fax: 515-239-5404 E-Mail: planning@city.ames.ia.us City Clerk s Office: 515-239-5105 Fax: 515-239-5142 2
Bed & Breakfast Special Home Occupation Application Form (This form must be filled out completely before your application will be accepted) 1. Property Address for this Special Home Occupation Permit: 2. I (We) the undersigned do hereby respectfully request the Ames Zoning Board of Adjustment grant a Special Home Occupation Permit to allow a Bed and Breakfast at the property address listed above. 3. Legal Description (attach, if lengthy) 4. Property Owner: Business: Address: (Street) (City) (State) (Zip) Telephone: (Home) (Business) (Fax) 5. Applicant: Business: Address: (Street) (City) (State) (Zip) Telephone: (Home) (Business) (Fax) 6. Contact Person: Business: Address: (Street) (City) (State) (Zip) Telephone: (Home) (Business) (Fax) E-mail address: 3
This Special Home Occupation Permit will not be granted unless sufficient facts are presented with the application, and at the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, to support a finding that all the criteria for granting a Special Home Occupation Permit have been met. Obtaining this Special Home Occupation Permit does not absolve the applicant from obtaining all other applicable permits, such as Building Permits, IDOT access permits, et cetera. I (We) certify that I (we) have submitted all the required information to apply for a Special Home Occupation Permit and that the information is factual. Signed by: Date: Property Owner(s) Print Name (Note: No other signature may be substituted for the Property Owner s Signature.) 4
Bed & Breakfast Special Home Occupation Supporting Information (This form must be filled out completely before your application will be accepted) The Zoning Board of Adjustment can grant a Special Home Occupation Permit for a Bed and Breakfast only if all of the following criteria are met. In order to facilitate review of this application for a "Bed and Breakfast", the applicant must address each of the criteria set forth in Section 29.1302 and Section 29.1304(3) of the Zoning Ordinance, which are listed below. (Note: The applicant s explanation of how the request meets each of the criteria may be attached on a separate sheet if sufficient space is not provided.) 1. Criteria for Bed and Breakfast Establishments. The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall review each application for the purpose of determining that the following criteria are met: (a) Guest rooms. A maximum of five (5) per structure in the RM (Residential Medium Density) and RH (Residential High Density) zones, and a maximum of two (2) per structure in the RL (Residential Low Density) zone. The Zoning Board of Adjustment may restrict the number of guest rooms to a lesser number. Please indicate the number of rooms to be rented and your zoning district. 5
(b) Breakfast shall be the only meal served. This service must occur before 11:00 a.m. Only guests residing in the structure or persons living in the premises may be served. The structure shall not be remodeled into a commercial kitchen unless required by Environmental Health rules and regulations established pursuant to Municipal Code Chapter 11. Please indicate whether kitchen changes will be necessary. (c) Off-street parking requirements. One space per guest room, plus one space for the owner. The parking spaces shall meet standards established by Section 29.406 of the Zoning Ordinance. Please describe how parking spaces that will be provided meet the requirements of 29.406 and indicate the number of spaces available on the site. 6
(d) Guests shall register. Guests shall register upon arrival, stating their names, current residence address, and the license plate number of the vehicle that is being used by the guest. The registration form shall be kept by the owner for a period of 3 years and shall be made available for examination by a representative of the City upon one day's notice. Please explain your proposal for a guest register. (e) Duration of stay. Guest stays shall be limited to 2 weeks. Please indicate the maximum length of time guests will stay. (f) The Special Home Occupation Permit. The Special Home Occupation Permit is not transferable to a subsequent owner or to another property. This permit will be granted only to this applicant. (g) The establishment must comply with local and state regulations. The establishment must comply with local and state regulations regarding all applicable permits and licenses including, but not limited to fire, health, food service, hotel, liquor, revenue, building/zoning permits, and licenses. 7
2. Criteria for Special Home Occupations. The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall review each application for the purpose of determining that all of the following criteria are met: (a) Area to be Used. (i) The activity shall be conducted in a manner that will not alter the normal residential character of the premises or, in any way cause a nuisance to adjoining residents, or shall there be any structural alteration to accommodate the occupation. There should be no emission of smoke, dust, odor, fumes, glare, noises, vibration, electrical, or electronic disturbances detectable at the lot line that would exceed that normally produced by a single residence. Special noise exceptions will be allowed for daycare homes due to the nature of the clients using the facility. Please indicate any changes that will be made to the premises and identify any problems that may be detectable at the lot line. (ii) The activity shall be located within the principal building or within an accessory structure. It shall occupy no more than 25% of the total floor area of the residence and shall not exceed 400 square feet of an accessory building. Please indicate the total floor area of the residence, the floor area involved in the home occupation, and whether the home occupation will occupy an accessory building. 8
(b) Signs. Any sign utilized at the home occupation shall be limited to one flush-mounted sign on the main residential structure, which shall not exceed one square foot in area. Such sign shall not be lighted and nonreflecting materials shall be used. The legend shall show only the name of the occupant and the type of occupation. Color shall be consistent with the residential character. Please indicate the size, type, color, and location of any sign. (c) Equipment. There shall be no mechanical equipment used except as customary for domestic household purposes. Any merchandise or stock in trade sold, repaired, or displayed shall be stored entirely within the residential structure or in any accessory building. No storage is to be visible from lot lines. Please indicate the type of equipment to be used. 9
(d) Employment. The activity shall employ only members of the household residing in the dwelling unless approval for the employment of up to two (2) non-family members is granted by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Please indicate who will be employed and whether the employee resides in the dwelling. (e) Traffic. The activity shall not generate significantly greater traffic volumes than would normally be expected in a residential area. Not more than ten (10) vehicular visits allowed per day may be permitted for family day care homes due to the number of children or adults allowed on-site and the need for parent or caregiver contact during the day. The delivery and pick up of materials or commodities to the premises by commercial vehicles shall not interfere with the delivery of other services to the area. 10
(f) Parking Criteria. (i) Only one delivery vehicle associated with the activity may be parked on the street near the premises for not more than four (4) consecutive hours. (ii) One additional on-site parking space is required above the normal parking requirement where two (2) or more clients are likely to visit the premises concurrently. (iii) No more than four (4) client vehicles during any given hour shall be allowed on the site. This requirement shall not be construed to prohibit occasional exceptions for such events as meetings, conferences, demonstrations, or similar events that are in no way a nuisance to adjoining residences. (g) Class Size. If the home occupation is the type in which classes are held or instructions given, there shall be no more than four (4) students or pupils at any given time. The Board may approve up to six (6) students if it finds that the additional students will not generate additional traffic. Day-care homes may have up to six (6) children or adults at a time. Additional children or adults will require a Special Use Permit for a day-care center. 11
(h) Number of Home Occupations. The total number of home occupations within a dwelling unit is not limited, except that the cumulative impact of all home occupations conducted within the dwelling unit shall not be greater than the impact of one home occupation. This will be determined by using the Home Occupation Criteria. Explain how the proposal meets the criteria. 12
Bed & Breakfast Site Plan Checklist (This form must be filled out completely before your application will be accepted) The applicant shall submit a Site Plan, drawn to scale, that clearly shows the property for which a Special Home Occupation Permit is being sought. The Site Plan shall be a reproducible, black line drawing on a sheet of paper no larger than 11 x17. If the project for which the Special Home Occupation Permit is sought is a single-family or a two-family dwelling, or other use exempt from the requirement for a Site Development Plan, then the Site Plan shall include, at a minimum, the following information: Dimensioned property lines Abutting streets and alleys Location and size of all existing and proposed buildings and structures (include distances to all property lines and distances between buildings and structures) Required setbacks Driveways and parking areas, fully-dimensioned Other pertinent information necessary to fully understand the need for a Special Home Occupation Permit (e.g.: significant change in topography, location and size of mature trees, etc.) 13
Bed & Breakfast Permission to Place a Zoning Action Pending Sign on Private Property (This form must be filled out completely before your application will be accepted) Section 29.1500(2)(d)(iii) of the Zoning Ordinance, requires that notice shall be posted by the City on the subject property. One notice sign shall be posted for each property. Required signs shall be posted along the perimeter of the subject property in locations that are highly visible from adjacent public streets prior to the public hearing. The owner of property at hereby grants the City of Ames permission to place Zoning Action Pending signs on the property for the purpose of informing interested persons of the request for action by the City of Ames. I understand that the signs will be placed on the property several days prior to action on the request by the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, or the City Council, and may remain on the property until the request has been approved or denied by the City. Signed by: Date: Property Owner Print Name (Note: No other signature may be substituted for the Property Owner s Signature.) 14
Adjoining Property Owner Statement (Completion of this form by the applicant is optional) To Whom It May Concern: We, the undersigned, own property adjoining Ames, Iowa. It is our understanding that has filed an appeal with the Zoning Board of Adjustment to allow. As adjoining property owners, we would have no objections to the issuance of this building permit for the purposes stated above. NAME ADDRESS DATE 15