In Winterville, North Carolina, the Planning Commission and the Town Council tackled zoning issues this week.

On the subject of manufactured housing, it was very clear on which side of the line some officials fell.

According to the Reflector, in dealing with permitted residential uses, the planning board voted 6-2 with planning board members Robert Briley and Dawn Poaletti dissenting, to remove class B single-family homes, which are classified as single-section manufactured homes from the list completely.

“Everyone needs somewhere to live. You’re not thinking about that,” said Briley.

“Having no singlewides [sic] is stupid. Land is land. No one is making any more land. I’m a country boy and can’t go along with this. It don’t make no sense. It’s a restriction on half of Pitt County.”

“The County has restrictions on mobile [sic] homes, too. It requires a permit,” said Mayor Doug Jackson.

Then, board member Peggy Cliborne made a motion to remove class A single family homes, classified as multi-section manufactured homes from the list as well.

“It is a wise statement to remove both,” said Jackson.

“I agree,” said Mayor Pro-tem Mark Smith.

“I think we still should move class A doublewides to conditional use,” said Cliborne.

“If I were moving to the community, I wouldn’t want to move next to a mobile home [sic].”

The motion died for a lack of a second.

Mayor Pro-tem Smith said that he is not against manufactured homes, but he does think the planning board should determine if they are allowed.

“I have no issued with mobile homes [sic] in our town. My grandmother lives in a mobile home park [sic], but we must look at where they are allowed. Now they are allowed next to $200,000 to $300,000 homes,” said Smith.

“People ask, ‘Why would we allow that?’ It is a legitimate question.”

Cliborne again made a motion to move class A doublewide manufactured homes to a conditional use in a joint session. Her motion did not receive a second.

“We must know the condition,” said planning board member Doug Kilian, making reference to a Board of Adjustment process that requires applicants to prove the special requirement.

“That would keep our housing consistent with similar housing together, which adds to the community and makes it look good,” said Winterville Councilwoman Veronica Roberson. She supports conditional use.

“We must clarify the difference between modular homes and doublewides [sic], so it says modulars and doublewides [sic] under conditional use,” said Cliborne, agreeing with Kilian.

“Moving class A homes into a conditional use would allow the development of a modular home subdivision or a doublewide [sic] subdivision,” said Roberson.

Kilian then made a motion to make class A housing as a conditional use, which Cliborne seconded.

The motion then passed unanimously.

 

NIMBY?

The Daily Business News has covered a number of potential NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard) stories recently, where current residents appear to be working to keep manufactured homes or communities out.

Most notable is the case in Aiken, South Carolina, where Councilman Danny Feagin was quoted as saying “As long as it keeps the mobile home parks [sic] out, I think the folks would be satisfied,” in relation to a proposed rezoning ordinance. ##

 

(Image credits are as shown above.)

 

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.