Rev. 1/30/2018
Borough of Bellefonte
236 West Lamb Street
Bellefonte, PA 16823
HOME OCCUPATION APPLICATION
Fee: $50.00 HOP#
Name Date
Address Phone
Email
Briefly explain the proposed Home Occupation:
Size of area to be used for the Home Occupation
Within the dwelling Within an accessory building
Within an attached garage Within a detached garage
What materials will be used for the Home Occupation? Hazardous?
How many residents of the dwelling will be involved?
How many non-residents will be involved?
Will people be picking up products? Yes No
Estimate the number of vehicles per day.
Applicant Signature Date
Application standard based on the Bellefonte Borough Zoning Ordinance, adopted November 19, 2007, Article 24.
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signature
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Bellefonte Borough Zoning Ordinance, Adopted November 19, 2007 Page 67
ARTICLE 24: SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONSHOME OCCUPATIONS
Home Occupations. A home occupation may be conducted in a dwelling by the occupants of the
dwelling subject to the following regulations. Bed and breakfast establishments are not
regulated as a home occupationsee Article 18.
Home Occupations shall be permitted as accessory uses by right after a Home Occupations
Permit has been approved. The fee for the Home Occupations Permit shall be set by Bellefonte
Borough Council through resolution. All home occupations shall be conducted according to the
performance standards established in this section.
The Zoning Officer shall be responsible for enforcement of the following performance standards
regulating home occupations. Upon determination by the Zoning Officer that any of the
standards are being violated, the Zoning Officer shall send a Notice of Violation to the persons
conducting the home occupation and landowner pursuant to Section 616.1 of the MPC, 53 P.S.
10616.1. The persons receiving said notice may appeal the determination of the Zoning Officer
to the Zoning Hearing Board.
The standards regulating the conduct of home occupations are as follows:
Unobtrusiveness. Home occupations shall be conducted unobtrusively and shall not
impinge upon neighbors nor adversely affect the residential character of the premises or
the neighborhood.
Employees. Home occupations shall be carried on only by members of the family who
reside in the dwelling unit, plus not more than one (1) full-time additional employee or
equivalent, except in the R1 district, where no employees shall be permitted.
Area. Home occupations may be conducted in the dwelling unit, garage, or outbuildings
on the premises. However, the total space devoted to home occupations, including
storage or materials, shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the finished floor space
of the principal dwelling unit.
Display. There shall be no use of show windows, displays, or advertising visible outside
the premises to attract customers or clients, except as permitted by the Sign Ordinance.
Storage. There shall be no exterior storage of materials for the home occupation.
Alterations. No exterior alterations, additions, or changes to the residential character of
the dwelling unit shall be permitted in order to accommodate or facilitate a home
occupation.
Servicing. No repetitive servicing by truck or service vehicles for delivery of supplies or
materials to the home occupation shall be permitted.
Bellefonte Borough Zoning Ordinance, Adopted November 19, 2007 Page 68
Sale of goods. Occasional sale of tangible goods produced on the premises is permitted,
provided that the number of customers coming to the premises to inspect or purchase
such goods does not average more than ten (10) per week. Such tangible goods shall
be limited to articles produced solely on the premises, such as works of art, sculptures,
or products of a hobby(such as, but not limited to, ceramics, model trains, and so forth).
Client, patient, or customer visit. No business of any type shall be conducted as a home
occupation that involves more than an average of ten (10) visits per week to the
premises by clients, customers, or patients.
Traffic. Home occupations shall not create additional traffic patterns or parking problems
for neighbors by conducting a business that requires more than one street-parking space
more than what the home would need if the occupants did not engage in a home
occupation.
Parking. No more than two additional off-street parking spaces may be created on the
premises for home occupations. Such additional parking spaces shall be located behind
the dwelling unit and effectively screened from view by neighbors, and shall be
approachable via existing driveways. Paving of front or side-yard setbacks to provide for
additional parking spaces for home occupations shall be considered obtrusive and
damaging to the character of the neighborhood, and is not permitted.
Noise, fumes, and so forth. No home occupation shall create noise, fumes, smells,
vibrations, or other effects that are heard, observed, smelled, or felt beyond the property
line.
Guide. In general, all home occupations are permitted that meet the above performance
standards. As a guide or help, the following is a partial list of uses that are generally
permitted or not permitted as home occupations:
Examples of uses generally permitted as home occupations:
a. Domestic service, such as baby-sitting (with no more than five (5) children
who are not regular members of the household). See supplemental
regulations for day care facilities.
b. Occasional personal service, including hairstyling but excluding beauty salon
services
c. Professional offices requiring infrequent client visits, such as architecture or
very specialized or otherwise limited practice of law, engineering, or
accounting.
d. Teaching and tutoring.
Bellefonte Borough Zoning Ordinance, Adopted November 19, 2007 Page 69
e. Catering services provided off-site.
f. Information services conducted by computer network or mail.
Examples of uses generally not permitted as home occupations.
a. Vehicle repair, maintenance or inspection (other than on the personal
vehicles of occupants of the premises).
b. Retail or wholesale sale of goods produced off premises.
c. Commercial printing.
d. Antique store.
e. Industrial production.
f. Medical or dental clinic.
g. Realty or insurance office.
h. Beauty salons.