SOAP LAKE - A difference of one square foot opened up a wide ranging conversation in Soap Lake last week about small businesses operating in the city's residential areas.

William Marshall, who owns and operates Marshall Signs out of his Soap Lake home, requested city council amend an ordinance to allow commercial signs placed on residences to measure three square feet for better visibility from the street.

Home-occupied businesses operating in most of the city's residential zones can currently post signs measuring up to two square feet, according to City Planner Darryl Piercy, who noted the signs must be placed flat on the structure and can't be free-standing. He said the ordinance is intended to minimize the appearance of commercial activity in residential areas.

"Home occupations are intended to be just that, occupations of a home that have very little impact on surrounding properties," Piercy said. "The signing requirements are to identify that, yes, there is a business here, but the signs are not intended to be advertising or to draw customers."

Soap Lake resident Kathy Kiefer, who also has a home-based business, joined Marshall in asking permission to make the signs larger. She pointed out the recession has led more people to operate businesses out of their homes, and said the city should support their efforts any way they can.

"Sometimes you do need to meet with people and you need to have a shingle that says, 'This is where I'm at and this is my phone number,'" she said. "The city should realize there are people with small businesses here in the residential area. We aren't asking for a lot, we just need a little bit more so we can be seen."

Piercy said the Soap Lake ordinance is actually more generous than many cities, which only allow signs of one square foot to be placed on residences. He suggested the city could consider imposing a tiered system of rules to differentiate between types of home businesses.

A home office would have not have signs, for instance, while businesses with occasional or routine foot traffic could be required to move through a public hearings process before being allowed to post signs.

"We may want to consider something like that, with a stepped level of review and an opportunity for public process and input," Piercy said.

Soap Lake resident Fred Knudsen asked about election signs and real estate signs, which tend to measure larger than three square feet.

Piercy explained election signs are restricted under a separate ordinance in terms of timing and characteristics, while real estate signs are generally exempted because they're seen as serving the residential community, although the city does restrict their size as well.

Kandis Lair and other council members cautioned against making changes that overly open residential zones to commercial ventures.

"It could get to the point where you have all these home occupations and pretty soon you have a commercial district," she said.

But Councilman John Hillman said the current ordinance is overly restrictive, and recommended having business owners get the OK from their neighbors to place larger signs.

"We'd have to address it on an individual basis every time," Lair said, to which Hillman replied, "I'd rather do that than kick a business out of town because they can't have a big sign."

Councilman John Glassco said the city could increase the size allowance and revisit the item if it becomes a nuisance.

"We are trying to be more business-friendly in Soap Lake, and a foot or two doesn't really make much difference to me," he said. "What if we relaxed the size requirement by a foot and let it ride for a couple of years, and if turned out to be problem we could restrict it and those signs that are there could be grandfathered in until the business folded."

Mayor Raymond Gravelle said the bottom line issue is one of balance.

"We're really looking for that balance between allowing businesses to grow versus maintaining the continuity of a residential zone," he said. "It's residential, and once you start imposing business matters in a residential area are you going to degrade the neighborhood?"

In the end, the council agreed to table the item and bring it back after they've had time to review the issue.