The Safe Haven Mobile Home Park in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, has a very interesting history.

But, unlike most communities, this one has accomplished that feat without even being built.

According to the Daily Iberian, before a permitting battle could begin, the Iberia Parish Council was eyeing its manufactured home community ordinance for an overhaul.

That battle has seen the current residents of the neighborhood, many of whom have manufactured homes already placed on their property, attending commission and council meetings, urging officials to stop the development of Safe Haven.

Questions about standards for communities, and whether or not one being allowed close to traditional single-family homes, even with existing industrial work yards bordering the property, were brought up numerous times.

The approval for the Safe Haven development was eventually denied, which led to a civil lawsuit that is still in the courts.

It also put a moratorium on creating manufactured home communities in Iberia Parish.

After a year, the process of creating a new ordinance setting standards for MH communities is still underway. But, last Thursday, there was finally some progress.

Members of the Iberia Parish Council presented a draft of the ordinance standards to the Iberia Zoning Commission for review.

“There were two major points of contention for me,” Iberia Parish Planning and Zoning Director John R. Raines said. “First, we needed to decide what road standards would be put in place. Second, we needed to have a review process. What would we do if they weren’t in compliance?”

The solution, accord to Raines, is in the draft ordinance.

It includes a requirement for annual inspections and, if the communities are not maintained, limiting the owner’s ability to draw new tenants.

“If the park [sic] is not maintained, if they are in violation, then if someone moves a trailer [sic] out and someone wants to move in, we won’t connect power,” said Raines.

“Now the mobile home park [sic] owner is losing revenue, so they will be incentivized to get their park [sic] in order.”

Iberia Parish Councilman for District 7, Paul G. Landry, believed the concern is making sure the developments are kept to a standard that allows emergency personnel access when needed.

“We have had some parks [sic] where ambulance, fire or police won’t go in because the roads are so bad,” said Landry.

“If they are losing $300 a month, then maybe they will get them a little Kubota tractor and drag the gravel. It doesn’t take much.”

Raines said that there are between 85 and 90 manufactured home communities in Iberia Parish, with about 1,500 slots available. Of those, only six are fully licensed at this time.

“Roads were a big factor in developing the ordinance,” said Iberia Parish District 5 Councilman Warren Gachassin.

“We finally decided that the first 75 feet leading into the development should be up to parish standards, so the gravel doesn’t spread onto the streets. We also had to determine how many trailers to allow before requiring a second entrance.”

But, some community owners, and zoning commission members are concerned that the new regulations might eliminate existing communities for lower income families.

“The older, more dilapidated homes, how will this affect them?” said Zoning Commissioner Nate Mitchell. “They have a right to be here, just like the million-dollar homes.”

“The only impact would be the annual review,” said Raines. “They will be fine as long as they are neat and clean and maintain an adequate roadway. As long as it is kept so it can be used, they will be fine.”

And, any new additions to existing developments would have to comply with the new standards.

“My concern is for some of our poorer tenants,” said Jimmy Allain, a manufactured home community owner. “We want to make sure this won’t be a strain on them.”

“The intent of the ordinance is solely to better the parish,” said Councilman Gachassin.

“We are not here to hurt any of the residents or the businesses.”

But Allain’s wife Peggy remains concerned with potential outcomes for those who do not have means.

“I just want to make sure some of my poorer people will be taken care of,” said Peggy Allain.

“When you talk about putting in skirting, some of our renters can’t afford rent. How can they afford skirting?” ##

 

(Image credits are as shown above.)

 

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews