SWEETWATER COUNTY— The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to begin a 45-day public comment period on a proposed rewrite of the county’s home occupations regulations, Tuesday morning. 

The resolution would replace the restrictive list of approved business types with a system based on regulating the actual impact on neighboring properties. 

Land Use Director Eric Bingham told the commissioners the current rules list very specific permitted home occupations and anything on that list is not allowed. He brought up the case of someone looking to sell firearms online and a resident running a small greenhouse business who had to ask for full zone change. 

The proposed resolution would create a three-tier permitting system based on the impact on neighboring properties:

• Tier 1 – Minimal impact, such as computer-based business with no employees or customers visiting the home: no permit required. 
• Tier 2 – Limited impact, such as in-home daycares: a one-time administrative permit, replacing the current permits that are renewed annually.
• Tier 3 – High Impact, business that generates significant traffic or parking congestion: a conditional use permit, reviewed by the planning and zoning commission and county commissioners.

Bingham said the county can still inspect any permitted home occupation at any time. The draft also includes enforcement provisions allowing the county to suspend or revoke a permit, with property owners given the chance to address concerns first and a right to appeal to the commissioners.