Gaithersburg vs Takoma Park

Customer and client traffic to home businesses in Gaithersburg is carefully regulated by tier under Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 59 to prevent residential neighborhoods from taking on commercial traffic patterns. The No-Impact tier allows a maximum of 5 client, customer, or patient visits per week, and these visits should be distributed throughout the week rather than concentrated on a single day to avoid creating noticeable traffic spikes. The Low-Impact tier allows up to 20 client visits per week with DPS registration. The Major Home Occupation tier has traffic levels set individually by the county Hearing Examiner as conditions of the Conditional Use approval, which may include limiting hours of client access, requiring off-street parking, and restricting delivery vehicle sizes and times. All tiers share a common principle: home occupation traffic must not be substantially different in character, volume, or timing from normal residential traffic patterns in the neighborhood. Commercial deliveries by tractor-trailer, box truck, or other large vehicles are prohibited across all tiers. Complaints from neighbors about increased traffic, parking congestion, or commercial vehicle activity are the primary trigger for code enforcement investigation.

Takoma Park home businesses may not generate traffic beyond residential norms. No walk-in retail sales. Client visits by appointment only, one at a time, with one commercial vehicle maximum.