Reprieve for owners of older mobiles?

A proposed city ordinance that would give owners of aging manufactured homes some breathing room for a public hearing August 27.

Under the recently adopted manufactured home regulations, manufactured homes on residential lots need to be replaced with stick frame houses when the owner decides to replace the structure. The proposed ordinance would allow a one-time replacement of an existing manufactured or mobile home with a new manufactured home in areas of the city where they are not allowed under the new rules, providing the owner lived in the home and it was replaced within five years.

At their June 18 meeting, council members unanimously supported the idea, but some took exception to putting a time limit on how long owners had to replace their homes. “We’re telling people they’re going to replace that within five years or die in it!” said council member Frank Bresnan Jr.

Community development director Terry Galvin said the time limit was intended as an incentive to drive the replacement of older, decrepit homes. “On the one hand it’s an incentive, but on the other it’s inflammatory,” said Ken Ely. “Maybe market forces make the date unnecessary.” Galvin clarified that council could keep extending the date the ordinance would sunset if they felt property owners needed more time.

“We are giving them some opportunity with this,” said John Liebert. “It’s a decent compromise to not allowing it at all.”

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