Lewes City Council votes to pull back an ordinance governing home-based businesses just days before it was set to take effect.
Just over a month ago, City Council passed the new law by a 3-2 vote after more than an hour of sometimes-contentious discussion. It would have categorized home-based businesses based on their impact on nearby neighbors. Businesses deemed to have no impact could get a business permit via a staff decision, but those with noticeable effects would require city council approval.
Opponents, most notably Councilman Joseph Elder, raised concerns about the legality of having unelected staff members making decisions about impact, as well as the number of on-the-fly changes to the proposal at the meeting.
The pushback to the ordinance led Mayor Amy Marasco to signal her intent to hold a vote on rescinding the measure and start over with a more deliberative approach at a work session on January 28. It wouldn’t be a complete do-over, but Marasco made it clear that she wants a rethink, involving input and inclusion from the city’s Planning Commission.
“We're going to need you there on the 28th," she said. "This is our new idea of work sessions. So we're going to talk. Hopefully we even have a round table, or at least a square, so that we can start back to what you recommended.”
While Marasco said she didn’t want to begin from scratch, she made it clear that the re-do of the ordinance would bring in much of the supporting work done in preparation for the original law, beginning with the report from the city’s Planning Commission. Council members will also take a look at what similar cities have done, with research by Elder.
“I did a study across the United States to see how standards are set for small towns like Lewes regarding additional employees in homes that are home-based businesses," he said.
Marasco also noted that Milton has a similar ordinance on its books.
