Home-based businesses provoke debate in core

TERRY PENDER

CAROLYN McLEOD, RECORD STAFF Kitchener city staff propose relaxing the restrictions on home-based businesses within downtown neighbourhoods.

RECORD STAFF David Bradshaw, outside his Kitchener house, fears more home businesses will hurt the quality of life in neighbourhoods.

KITCHENER (Feb 25, 2005)

A move to increase the resale value of houses in core-area neighbourhoods is running into opposition long before city councillors even consider changes.

Nearly a year ago a group known as the Kitchener Downtown Community Collaborative asked some real estate agents what they could do to increase the value of their homes.

They were told that zoning changes to allow more home-based businesses would result in higher selling prices.

Now city staff are proposing to make it easier to operate home-based businesses in neighbourhoods around the downtown.

"I don't see anything positive for our neighbourhood in the plan," said David Bradshaw of Simeon Street.

Bradshaw's neighbourhood, which is between Weber Street and East Avenue, is full of older homes, big trees and quiet streets. And he wants to see it stay that way.

"It has the opportunity to dramatically change the character of the neighbourhood, and right now our neighbourhood is a fairly quiet place," said Bradshaw, who is president of the Auditorium Neighbourhood Association.

"The kids can play on the street. We don't have to worry about the traffic or the number of people coming in and out of the neighbourhood."

Bradshaw will try to persuade other neighbourhood associations to oppose the idea during a meeting on Monday night.

Urban planners with the city are looking for feedback and discussion with property owners in the affected neighbourhoods.

Under current bylaws, any home in Kitchener can have a home-based business provided that only 25 per cent of the home is used for the business, only one non-resident employee works out of the house, there is only one additional parking space for the employee, and only one health professional at a time works out of the house.

The proposed changes are designed to create greater opportunity and incentive to locate within the central neighbourhoods by allowing up to half of the house to be used for a business.

Other proposed changes would allow up to three non-resident employees to work in a home, and two health professionals. But only one additional parking space would be allowed for all employees.

"Home businesses put people in neighbourhoods during the daytime when most people are at work," said Cory Bluhm, the city planner in charge of the project.

"So there's the presence of people in the neighbourhood, and from a safety standpoint it's looked on as a good thing to help neighbourhood safety.

"Most of the impact, like additional cars in the neighbourhood or additional people, happens at a time when a lot of people are at work. So the impact is generally minimal."

City officials want to hear from property owners during the next few weeks. After that, the proposed changes may be modified and then brought to city council for approval.

City documents tout several benefits that would flow from the changes, including:

Increased investment in properties.

Higher resale prices.

Improved safety by having more people in neighbourhoods throughout the day.

Support for the local economy as owners and employees use restaurants, office suppliers and support services downtown.

The possibility that over time, home businesses may outgrow their houses and relocate to office and commercial space in the core area.

The opportunities that home businesses provide for creative entrepreneurs such as artists and sculptors to work from their homes.

"Our history at city hall is that we've had very few complaints about home businesses, so by nature they haven't been problematic for us in the past," Bluhm said.

"There is a lot of research out there now that says they are good for communities."

But Bradshaw still needs convincing.

"If you have 50 per cent of the property set up as a business you are not going to have a family living in the other 50 per cent," he said. "It's not enough room for a family.

"So it will force families out of those homes. And if the homes all around you don't have families in them, the other houses are not going to have families in them either."

tpender@therecord.com