In an effort to maintain compatibility between home businesses and surrounding neighborhoods, the Sammamish City Council approved a new set of rules Monday for home businesses on the Plateau.

Current home businesses operating legally under the city’s old rules are grandfathered in and will not have to change their method of operations. Those applying for new home business licenses will have to abide by a new set of rules.

The council approved the new regulations 6-1, with the only dissenting vote coming from councilwoman Nancy Whitten.

“At some point people need to understand that there’s an incompatibility issue with residential,” Whitten argued. “If people want to have businesses that go on, and have a lot of traffic and everything else, maybe they should be looking for a commercial site to operate.”

While Whitten didn’t believe the new rules were strict enough, the passing of the ordinance drew applause from home business owners in the crowd.

Among the new regulations, home businesses that require federal or state permits will be limited to the sales of items produced onsite. Alcohol and firearms would fall under that category.

The new set of rules also prohibits home businesses from operating automobile and heavy equipment repair, autobody work or painting and a variety of other businesses that would disrupt a neighborhood.

On-site customer appointments will have to fall between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., seven days a week.

Among other rules, home businesses will not be able to exceed 50 percent of the area of a residential dwelling, no more than six vehicles associated with a home business shall be visible from the street or adjacent properties on a regular basis and no more than three non-residents shall work at a home business engaged in sales or on-site services.