With a new classification of home occupations allowed in Polk County, commissioners have also amended its zoning ordinance to allow for parking.

County commissioners met Feb. 3 and after conducting a public hearing with no comments, they approved amended wording for parking requirements for both home occupations class I and class II.

The previous parking requirement for home occupations, before the approval of home occupations II, stated that two spaces were required in addition to residence requirements.

That verbiage was replaced in the county’s zoning ordinance for customary home occupation I and II to state, “parking necessary to conduct business shall be provided. Parking must be off-street and on-site. Parking must be screened so as to obstruct views of the parking area from adjacent properties, streets or roadways, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood.”

The county approved a second class of home occupations, class II in August 2013 to allow a home occupation to include an accessory building. Home occupations class II is now allowed in the zoning districts of Multiple Use (MU), Equestrian (E) and Agriculture Residential (AR5).

Requirements for an accessory building for home occupations class II allow up to a 2,500 square foot building if the property owner has one and ½ acres of land or less and an up to 4,000 square foot building for any properties greater than one and ½ acres.

Home occupations class II also allows up to four non-resident employees.