Local residents will get a say in whether the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury should officially allow more home businesses, including piano and swimming lessons, BWG council voted Tuesday.
Town staff will begin a public consultation process, which includes a public meeting, about whether the town should change its home occupations zoning bylaw.
Currently, there is a legal grey area because all home businesses must be operated within the main dwelling, so a job teaching backyard swimming lessons, for example, is technically not permitted.
While indoor teaching, such as music lessons, has always been permitted as long as the bylaw is respected, this would make it formal and stop people from becoming commercial schools.
The town’s committee of the whole, which is made up of council members, had previously approved the consultation process June 5 before getting the final nod by council Tuesday.
Some of the staff-recommended changes to the zoning bylaw include:
- Allow business owners to sell goods from their homes, as long as they are not the primary reason for the business’ existence
- Formally permit indoor teaching
- Permit fitness instruction
- Permit outdoor swimming lessons
- Permit catering business
- Permit home-based medical practitioners
A date for a public meeting on the issue has not yet been selected.
