The OnlineSentinel reports from Madison, Maine a ruling that would restrict manufactured housing at Hidden Acres Mobile Home Park to newer models only was dropped, allowing post HUD Code (after 1976) homes to be sited, resolving a years-long disagreement between the town and the community’s owner, Tim Ames. The town had tried to force Ames to allow only new or unused homes in the community, but the town attorney agreed that violated state statute. With only 30 of the 54 home sites occupied, Ames says, “We wanted to be able to put homes in that people were willing to buy. The demand for park space for new homes is pretty much non-existent in central Maine.” Another issue was the occasional failure of a sewage pump, allowing the waste from the community to run into a nearby wetland and then into a small stream. Ames says he has a master plumber and pump team available to respond. The town says it will evaluate the plan for thoroughness to determine if it requires further monitoring.
