Previously, when the city council was going to ban new MH, Texas Manufactured Housing Association Executive Director D. J. Pendleton documented to the council that 843 MH had been sold to people with Huntsville addresses from 2011 to 2014, causing them to back off.
The new ordinance would prevent any MH older than 20 years from siting in the city, including in MHCs, although existing homes would be grandfathered in. However, if the owner upgrades, the replacement home cannot be more than 20 years old, and it must have outdoor storage.
Additionally, the ordinance requires that manufactured home communities (MHCs) conform to the same standards as any subdivision, and mandates that new standards be developed for MH home sites.
Under a proposed ordinance to the development code, recreational vehicles (RVs) could no longer be used as permanent residences within the city limits, although existing RVs so used would be grandfathered in.
As for existing MH under the new ordinance, they would all need to be skirted regardless of age. MHCs must have: a buffer zone around the community; paved impervious road surfaces to allow for emergency vehicles; screening around any dumpster area; and improve the utility infrastructure for safety reasons.
The Tue. meeting will also be the first reading of the proposed ordinances as well as a public hearing. No action will be taken unless a motion is made to waive the first reading rule and be approved by a majority vote. ##
(Photo credit: kristv.com–manufactured home, George West, Texas)
Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to Daily Business News-MHProNews.
