When You Take the Job Home

Last week, the Los Angeles Board of Zoning Appeals gave a North Hollywood woman a two-year exemption to city laws outlawing the costume-making business she operates in her garage with four employees. But efforts to draft new regulations permitting home-based businesses in Los Angeles have been unsuccessful.

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Should Los Angeles adopt regulations to permit home-based businesses?

Debra Bowen, state assemblywoman, (D-Torrance):

I believe Los Angeles should adopt a home-based business ordinance, though it is not at all clear whether the business that provoked the controversy would be allowed. . . .The idea is to permit home businesses that are consistent with the surrounding residential area. The intent is to permit businesses in which someone is running the entire business themselves or using a telephone, a computer and a fax machine.

Richard H. Close, president of Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.:

We have no objection to a person doing some business in a home. The distinction is between operating a business and doing a business. People should not be able to have employees, customers, suppliers coming to a home. But if a person wants to do work in his house that does not interfere with the neighborhood, there should be no prohibition.

Judy Corbett, whose North Hollywood costume-making business has renewed debate on home-based businesses:

Yes, because it will legalize what is already in existence. There are probably 4 million home-based businesses in California and most of them are having to hide because of antiquated regulations. . . .As far as the employees go, I have done this for eight years with full knowledge of the city licensing people and had never had any complaints. . . .It gives the lie to the proposition people have that you can’t have employees because it makes problems. It doesn’t have to. It’s my neighborhood too and I don’t want to see it run down. It (my business) hasn’t changed the look of the neighborhood.

Paul Edwards, Santa Monica author who writes about home-based businesses:

Los Angeles is out of date with the rest of the country. Los Angeles is the self-employment capital of the country. What is happening with the existing situation is normally law-abiding people are having to work underground. They don’t get a city license. They become less of a business than they might be. . . .The city could benefit by millions of dollars in revenue. . . .As long as we’re not bothering our neighbors, we have an inherent right to use our home to earn our living, as long as it isn’t something that will change the public quality of life.

Gerald Silver, president of Homeowners of Encino:

With the problems with traffic congestion and pollution, I think it’s mandatory that we change our ordinances and go into the world of telecommunication and telecommuting in home business. But . . . there should be no external changes to the building or lot. There should be limits to the number of employees who can work at the home. . . .There ought not to be customers who drive up and park on the street and there should be no signage.