sansbury
Aluminum
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2013
- Location
- Boston, Mass.
Apologies in advance if this is out of place. Thanks in advance for any input!
I'm considering buying a house in western Mass. and trying to figure out potential zoning gotchas. I'm VERY early in the process so trying to avoid digging myself into a hole! I know there's a few folks here in central/western Mass and reaching out to see if anybody knows the turf well.
I operate a very small CNC shop that could fit comfortably in most any residential garage, and do 95% R&D for a product I've been working on for a while, and the occasional parts for somebody. I run it as an LLC because I'm genuinely trying to build a business of it but it's not close to my day job. If it does become successful I'd expect to either contract out manufacturing or get a proper industrial unit.
I started reading town zoning rules for one of the properties I like, and it's unclear whether I would stand a chance or not. It's in an area zoned as Agricultural-Residential, and there's an exemption available for a "Home-Based Business," but it's unclear whether I would fit into that. This is in the town of Hadley, for anybody wondering.
Alternatively, I could keep the business address at my primary residence in Boston, and call the milling machine and welder in the barn a "hobby" or "farm tools," but if that's the case I might as well buy a place where I'm allowed to do what I want. I rent an industrial unit in Boston now, but for what I'm paying for the lease there I could pay the mortgage on a decent piece of property a couple hours outside the city, and get a nice garden in addition to shop space.
I'm considering buying a house in western Mass. and trying to figure out potential zoning gotchas. I'm VERY early in the process so trying to avoid digging myself into a hole! I know there's a few folks here in central/western Mass and reaching out to see if anybody knows the turf well.
I operate a very small CNC shop that could fit comfortably in most any residential garage, and do 95% R&D for a product I've been working on for a while, and the occasional parts for somebody. I run it as an LLC because I'm genuinely trying to build a business of it but it's not close to my day job. If it does become successful I'd expect to either contract out manufacturing or get a proper industrial unit.
I started reading town zoning rules for one of the properties I like, and it's unclear whether I would stand a chance or not. It's in an area zoned as Agricultural-Residential, and there's an exemption available for a "Home-Based Business," but it's unclear whether I would fit into that. This is in the town of Hadley, for anybody wondering.
Alternatively, I could keep the business address at my primary residence in Boston, and call the milling machine and welder in the barn a "hobby" or "farm tools," but if that's the case I might as well buy a place where I'm allowed to do what I want. I rent an industrial unit in Boston now, but for what I'm paying for the lease there I could pay the mortgage on a decent piece of property a couple hours outside the city, and get a nice garden in addition to shop space.