Milton considers more flexibility for home-based businesses
Published July 21, 2022 at 4:57 pm
Work patterns created by the pandemic now has Milton looking to expand the rules that give people the ability to operate businesses out of their homes.
A proposal by Ward 3 Councillor Rick Di Lorenzo asks Town staff to evaluate existing home occupation eligibility and business support programming to see if current controls should be broadened. Right now only a limited-type of home businesses are allowed such as daycare centres.
Council will consider the matter later this year when staff investigate the merits of such a plan.
In presenting the proposal at a recent council meeting, Di Lorenzo said it may be time to allow more flexibility in allowing home-based businesses.
“COVID and the pandemic has redefined what is possible what you can do in the house,” he said. “There are many micro-businesses in Milton that have been very successful and many have moved on to commercial space, but a lot of them started in homes.”
He pointed out that many success stories from around the world show that companies that have started out in homes have become major corporations.
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Di Lorenzo said many home-based businesses have been skirting current zoning allowances and now is the time to look at making changes.
“Milton is a town of possibilities and entrepreneurship should be encouraged,” he said.
He cautioned that expanding home businesses, however, should not disrupt neighbourhoods through increased traffic and noise.
Ward 4 Councillor Zeeshan Hamid agreed. “The pandemic has changed work habits and were not going back to the way we were doing things before,” he said.
Milton Mayor Gord Krantz agreed saying it’s time for the Town to loosen up the rules for private entrepreneurs.
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