The York County Planning Commission will consider Wednesday whether to recommend that a man who runs his business out of his home be allowed to have a permit that authorizes him to keep non-resident employees and work vehicles on site.
The matter first came to the county’s attention in October when Zoning and Code Enforcement staff received a complaint from a citizen about vehicles parking on the street in connection to the business, which does work in defense consulting. The business is located on the 100 block of Wellington Drive in Queens Creek Estates in Upper York County.
County staff inspected the site. The owner of the business, Richard D. Nefzger, told staff he runs the business out of his home and that he recently added a survey division, which includes five employees and two trucks. Because the York County Zoning Ordinance requires a permit to have non-resident employees at a business operated out of a residentially zoned area, Nefzger submitted the proposal going before the planners Wednesday, according to a memorandum from York County Planner Earl Anderson.
In his memorandum to the planning commission, Anderson suggests the planners recommend denial of the proposal. Though he notes it is a small-scale operation, he expresses concern with the number of vehicles that would be on site.
“Home occupations are required to remain incidental and subordinate to the residential use and not adversely impact surrounding homes,” Anderson wrote in the memorandum. “With the limited parking on-site and the relatively small size of the parcel, the property cannot fully accommodate the parking needs generated by the proposed use, and the proposed activity would require some on-street parking — albeit for a short time — and would, in staff’s opinion, create a traffic and parking situation that is not consistent with the intent of the home occupation provisions of the Zoning Ordinance.”
The planning staff’s recommendation is in no way binding. The planning commissioners are tasked with considering the application based off its conformance with the ordinance and with the county’s comprehensive plan. Nefzger will get a chance at Wednesday’s meeting to make his case to the commission. Furthermore, any member of the public is allowed to also share their thoughts on the matter with the commission.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at York Hall and is open to the public.
