Contributor Opinion by Rich Gottfried: Make RORZOR More Friendly To Home-Based Business

This >contributor opinion is (my) edit of the prepared remarks Rockville Central friend Rich Gottfried delivered at last night’s RORZOR public meeting.

The Home Based Business Action Team [HBBAT, pronounced “beebat”] has submitted 13 pages of comments, questions and suggestions to article 9 section 25.09.06 which is 7 pages more than the regulation itself! [Here is a link to all of them - ed.] Here are the highlights from its written comments.

First, this article needs a no impact home based business section exemption regulation where home based businesses do not have to register nor pay any fees nor additional tax revenue to the city of Rockville.

Montgomery County’s no-impact business regulations state that no more than five vehicles visits per week excluding deliveries, no nonresident employees, and no discernible impact on the surroundings. If you are a no impact business, you don’t have to do anything else. No space requirements and no income requirements. . . . Why doesn’t the city of Rockville have a no impact business exemption regulation?

Second, there was no public outreach to the home based businesses. The six pages of regulations should have been mailed to all of the residents of Rockville.

Third, the regulations as written violate the private policy laws: keeping logs . . . counting cars . . . having the chief of planning do inspections at will!…one complaint is a violation? Denial of access is an admission of guilt?

Fourth, that a registry be will made available for public inspection may cause more neighborhood crimes, if the criminals know where the address is of a home based business is and they have large amounts of cash in their house or valuable art work or expensive pianos…they may be subject to more of a target of being robbed!

Fifth, what is the cost to the Rockville taxpayers for implementing this regulation versus the benefit of having one at all for home based businesses? Why are these regulations even necessary? These regulations would be an administrative burden on the planning department as well as on home based businesses.

Sixth, signage. We need some minimal signage for home based businesses. How about one exterior illuminated sign of approximately 144 square inches. That’s about half the size of a political lawn sign.

Let’s decide to support, not erase by fiat, Rockville’s home based businesses. We are the highest level of green business the city can have, whether we call it telecommuting for white collar workers, pedestrian accessible medical care for neighborhood children, affordable incubator space for startup businesses, or a second career for stay-at-home parents, home based businesses cut traffic and other wear and tear on our infrastructure.

In summary, please abolish article 9 section 25.09.06 or let’s work together to implement fair and reasonable regulations so that home based businesses are not unfairly scrutinized and penalized. Let’s keep Rockville’s home-based businesses in Rockville where we need them.

Richard Gottfried
HBBAT

Rockville Central runs occasional, edited opinion pieces by contributors. Their views are not necessarily those of Rockville Central. To submit your opinion for consideration, contact us.

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