The Homer City Council passed an ordinance at their last regular meeting on March 10 that permits studios in three additional zoning districts in Homer — residential office, General Commercial 1 and General Commercial 2.

Studios are defined in Homer City Code as “a room, rooms or building where an artist or photographer does work, a place where dancing lessons, music lessons, or similar artistic lessons are given, or where radio or television programs are produced or where recordings are made.”

Ordinance 25-20 amends Homer City Code 21.16, 21.24 and 21.26 to add studios as permitted uses in each district. Previously, studios were only allowed within the Town Center, Central Business District, Gateway Business District and East End Mixed Use District.

The Homer Planning Commission recommended in a 4-1 vote to approve the zoning code amendments at their Feb. 5 meeting.

Breezy Berryman, who first requested the commission to consider the zoning amendment last fall, thanked the council for their consideration of the ordinance. Berryman is the founder of the Motivity Dance School and Collective, and experienced multiple challenges in finding a suitable location for the school’s permanent home in any of the zones in which studios were originally allowed.

“I believe Ordinance 25-20 satisfies arts and education by providing opportunities for many forms of dance … as a recreational art form. It represents an easy fix for the Motivity School, which provides quality education to Homer’s community of dancers,” she said.

Ordinance 25-20 passed without opposition from the council.

Find the ordinance and supplemental materials in full online at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citycouncil/city-council-regular-meeting-339.