urbanMSP

We are currently allowed to operate certain types of businesses out of our residences or garages.

What if we could at least get a city to widen residential zoning to allow a single family house owner to also operate their own bakery, tea shop, coffee shop, chocolatier, 10 seat restaurant ... that kind of thing?

Great idea. This is how businesses used to develop “in the old days” (before zoning).

I was just mentioning to my partner how the houses at the cul-de-sac on Lynn Ave. near the intersection of 38th & Excelsior in St. Louis Park (adjacent to Honey & Rye Bakery) would be great places for small businesses, run by the owners of the houses.

Excelsior is extremely busy and 38th gets a lot of traffic. Living in those single family homes is probably what people fear when they complain about increased density & traffic in urbanizing areas.

But that’s perfect if you want to run a business! Great visibility from the street. Great ped & bike access from all around. Car access impaired outside of immediate neighborhood because of cul-de-sac; but then you probably don’t want a lot of car traffic on that street.

This allows new commercial nodes to develop, and existing nodes to grow organically.

We are currently allowed to operate certain types of businesses out of our residences or garages.

What if we could at least get a city to widen residential zoning to allow a single family house owner to also operate their own bakery, tea shop, coffee shop, chocolatier, 10 seat restaurant ... that kind of thing?

A friend started a baking business out of her house. I'm not exactly sure why it was allowed, but it was.

I think a business baking things out of your home is seems differently than running a bakery out of your home where neighbors can just walk in and buy bread or rolls. You walk down some major arterial and you can see buildings that were once houses, built a storefront on the front for whatever enterprise they had going.

I’ve heard about people with a small business baking things at home which they then deliver to places where they are sold.

Some of the charming commercial districts around the city are filled with buildings that were obviously once houses which a past resident added on a store for their gig.

I’d love to see any owner residents of single family/duplex/triplex on any arterial be able to, by right, run a type of business like I described.