Rural business options studied

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Larimer County is working out ways to make small cottage industries in rural areas both possible and legal.

The first step is to make easy, minor changes to the county's land use code to begin enhancing economic opportunities outside city limits. With simple changes to the codes for farms, for example, landowners could make value-added agricultural and craft products such as cheese, wine, butter, soap, candles, clothing and beer.

"It will be interesting to see what comes through the gate when we open that one," said planner Geniphyr Ponce-Pore.

Another simple change could allow on-site retail sales from a rural home business 30 days per calendar year. More complex changes that require more debate will come later.

County officials have been talking about these ideas for well over a year, and county manager Frank Lancaster said he is hopeful the first steps to enhance rural economies will be put in place by summer. In the meantime, officials and the planning staff are still hashing out wording to amend the land use code before scheduling public hearings on the changes. The repeated concern is safeguarding quiet, rural lifestyles and the rural landscape as the county provides more small business opportunities.

Lancaster said he thinks it's possible to allow more economic development without reducing the quality of life that people expect from living in the country. "We can have both jobs and quality of life," he said.

"There may come a time, if you are wildly successful, you have to relocate," Ponce-Pore noted, because the business no longer fits the residential character of the neighborhood.

"There are some home occupations that belong in the country," added planning commissioner Roger Morgan, suggesting that at some point the county would need different standards based on acreage.

The county is also working on ways to help would-be entrepreneurs understand and navigate land-use and health codes, sales taxes and other regulations. To that end, it may develop workbooks and assign county employees specifically to those tasks.