CALLERY — Borough council approved a series of proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance for advertisement. The amendments are expected to be voted on at the next borough council meeting to be held Dec. 1.

Borough solicitor Tom Smith said major items, such as setbacks, remain unchanged.

“I didn't change your zoning districts. I didn't change your setbacks. I didn't change 90% of the most important stuff for people,” Smith said. “I changed the regulations to make it cleaner.”

Among the changes, the amendment will expand upon the definition of what constitutes a “home-based business.”

“For home-based business, you’re (currently) allowed signs and employees and everything else, and that’s not supposed to be a home-based business,” Smith said. “A home-based business is supposed to be no more than 25% of your house. You’re not supposed to have any employees other than family. You're not allowed to have any excess mail, deliveries or pickups.”

Other additions concern what can and can’t be done on lots with nonconforming uses.

“If you change the nonconforming use, or if you reconstruct the nonconforming use ... you can reconstruct it, but you can only reconstruct it in the footprint where it is. You can’t make it bigger,” Smith said.

Smith said the changes, if implemented, will not affect business owners who are operating under existing rules.

Language in the amendment reads, “The adoption of this chapter does not make legitimate development activity in the borough under previous prior regulations illegal, nor does it annul any litigation currently pursued or (that) may be pursued in the future.”

Although it is one of the smallest populated areas in Butler County, Callery has had a zoning ordinance in place since the early 1990s, whereas some larger municipalities, such as Forward Township, do not. The borough is split into four zoning districts — residential, village center, commercial and light industrial.