Isurfwebster reports that Malcolm Coffman approached the Dixon City Commission to request a moratorium on the issuance of building permits while working to enact zoning laws to prevent “mobile homes” from being set up in neighborhoods with high-value traditional houses. Coffman owns a conventional house with a reported value of $150,000 that is across the street from a property owned by Tim Smith who wants to install the “mobile home” for rental housing purposes. Coffman said he didn’t want to “eliminate low-income” housing within city limits, but that he wanted to see “similar income properties” kept together, rather than low-valued properties interspersed with higher value ones. He said he believed that more mobile homes popping up close to higher-value traditional homes would “drag values down.” Dixon, KY Mayor Linda Frederick said she didn’t have a problem with the mobile homes being moved into the city. “We have (conventional) homes renting for more than $300 that are in worse shape,” she said as some commission members nodded. Commissioner David Frazier said there wasn’t much the city could do, and encouraged Coffman and other commissioners to try to reason with Smith about the situation. “Tim can build a grass hut if he wants to,” Frazier said. “There are ways around this without making it into a big, combustive issue.” When Smith left the meeting, Commissioner Terry Webb said he supported the idea to implement zoning, and expressed concerns similar to Coffman’s about the impact multiple mobile homes could have on Dixon. “With low rental houses, you’re going to have anything and everything,” Webb said. “We’re going to have problems. Let’s be real about this, Linda (referring to the mayor).” After discussion, commissioners agreed to hold a special called meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. Dixon City Attorney Ben Leonard said he would need the next couple of weeks to compile the information for them to review.
(Editor’s note: there is insufficient information available at this time to determine if the factory-built home in question is a pre-HUD Code “mobile home,” or a post-HUD Code manufactured home that should enjoy the protection of federal pre-emption.)
