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From City of Renton presentation. The complete presentation is here
At 6:00 PM tomorrow night, Renton’s Planning and Development Committee will discuss updating Renton’s home occupations rules to make it legal for Renton residents to do home based online retail sales. I think this update probably makes sense in today’s world. If you have input one way or the other, you can address it to council via email or at tomorrow’s City Council meeting.
In 1995 during my first term on Renton City Council I helped write a new law that formally legalized home piano teachers, home tax accountants, and other similar small residential-based businesses for the first time in Renton. Prior to ordinance 4493 in 1995, these businesses were technically not allowed in residential neighborhoods, although some people were doing them under the radar if their business was small enough and neighbors were not asking questions.
This law has seen updates in 1997, 2008, 2012, as we made adjustments based on input from businesses and neighborhoods. Here is the law as it stands today. This law will likely be updated again in the coming days, primarily to allow retail sales from homes as long as these sales are online-based. Previously, retail sales were not allowed from home-based businesses.
The new updates will also allow deliveries any number of times throughout each week, as opposed to limiting the number of deliveries to six; Renton neighborhoods have pretty much adjusted to daily package delivery service runs on most every street anyway, so limiting the number does not make that much sense anymore.
The new law will also simplify permitting requirements. Reducing permit requirements is a money and time saver for both residents and the city.
The law will be discussed in tomorrow’s Planning and Development Committee meeting at 6:00 PM. Here is the agenda. No public comment will typically be allowed at the committee meeting, but public comment is allowed in the next hour at the Monday City Council Meeting.
Finally, I can can make my online Beanie Baby store legit.