Salinas considers recommendation to lift maximum number of businesses allowed to operate in a home

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The City of Salinas Planning Commission is set to consider recommending an ordinance eliminating the maximum number of businesses allowed to operate out of a home at its next meeting Wednesday.

If approved, the Planning Commission would send a resolution recommending that the City Council should adopt an ordinance to change the current limitations. Currently, only two home businesses are allowed to operate out of each home.

A staff report says the COVID-19 pandemic and the business restrictions that followed caused higher levels of unemployment and financial difficulties, and operating a home-based business could help small businesses and startups by reducing costs.

The report says that a limit was put in place to make sure neighborhoods stay residential, but the public desire for increased flexibility has led the commission to consider recommending that the City Council lifts the limitations.

To operate a business out of a home, the business owner needs to get a Home Occupation Permit, and that is what is limited to two per home. Monterey limits the number of HOPs to two and Watsonville limits it to one, but Santa Cruz, Seaside and several other California cities do not have a limit.

Read the staff report below.