(A) Purpose. The manufactured mobile home park (MMHP) designation is intended to provide for and encourage, the organization and development of mobile homes and other pre-manufactured dwellings in a single-family residential neighborhood setting, and to:
(1) Bring about manufactured home developments which are an asset to the community and to prevent the development of those which would be a detriment to the community;
(2) To promote manufactured home developments with the character of residential neighborhoods;
(3) To protect the health, safety, and welfare of manufactured home residents and the surrounding community;
(4) To harmonize this type of residential development with other existing and proposed land uses;
(5) To assure adequate service by essential public facilities and services such as roads, police, water and sewers, drainage structures, and that the establishment of any manufactured home development shall not equal excessive public expense for the facilities and services.
(B) Development standards. In the district in which mobile home parks are permitted, the following minimum requirements shall apply. To adequately insure the purpose of the manufactured mobile home park designation, Special Exception by the Board of Zoning Appeals is required.
(1) All improvements, including but not limited to roadways, sidewalks, storm drainage facilities, water distribution and sanitary sewer facilities shall be designed and constructed in conformance with the adopted standards and specifications of the city for public improvements.
(2) The minimum area of a mobile home park shall be five acres.
(3) Each mobile home site within the mobile home park shall have a minimum lot area of 3,600 square feet.
(4) Each mobile home site shall have a minimum lot width of 40 feet.
(5) All lots within a manufactured home development shall have frontage on, and access to, a public or private street.
(6) All structures within the mobile home park will adhere to the following setback requirements when abutting properties NOT associated/part of the mobile home park:
(a) Twenty-five (25) feet from the right-of-way of all roads;
(b) Twenty (20) feet from all side yard property lines;
(c) Twenty (20) feet from all rear property lines.
(7) All structures within the mobile home park will adhere to the following setback requirements for properties contained within or associated with the mobile home park:
(a) Twenty-five (25) feet from right-of-way of roadways associated with the mobile home park;
(b) Eight feet from all side property lines internal to the mobile home park;
(c) Ten feet from all rear property lines internal to the mobile home park.
(8) (a) It is recognized that due to the pre-manufactured nature of mobile homes, lots exceeding the minimum area requirements of this ordinance may be necessary to accommodate some models within the required yard setbacks. Therefore, suitable provisions shall be made by the developers of the manufactured home development in their advance planning to provide for such homes in their design.
(b) Based upon this guideline, the fact that the size of a particular home would create a violation of any of the yard requirements of this ordinance when applied to a specific lot, shall not, in itself’, be considered an adequate basis for the granting of a variance from such requirements.
(9) Not less than 10% of the gross area of the mobile home park shall be improved for recreational activities for the residents of the park.
(10) Buffer zone. A 40-foot wide buffer zone (not less than 12 feet high at maturity) along the perimeter of the mobile home park shall contain plantings so as to provide an opaque barrier, or screen, between the park and adjacent property and along adjacent roadways. No plantings or other visual barriers shall encroach beyond the home park property line. No home or accessory structure shall encroach upon the buffer zone.
(11) Each park shall provide a single waterproof accessory structure for each mobile home site, suitable for storage of goods and the usual effects of persons occupying the park. The accessory structure shall not exceed a height of 16 feet, nor be two-stories in height, nor be closer than five feet from any side or rear property line.
(12) All exterior park lights shall be so located and shielded as to prevent direct illumination of any areas outside the park.
(13) Each mobile home site shall be provided with a stand consisting of either a solid concrete slab or two concrete ribbons of a thickness and size adequate to support the maximum anticipated loads during all seasons. When concrete ribbons are used, the area between the ribbons shall be filled with a layer of crushed rock. An anchor system shall be provided in connection with the placement of each mobile home. The minimum thickness of the concrete slab or ribbon shall be six inches.
(14) Entrance/exit. The park shall be provided with primary and secondary access points with suitable signage place in a landscaped setting.
(15) Sidewalks. Sidewalks not less than four feet in width shall be required on both sides of all interior streets; In those instances where the mobile home development borders one side of an arterial or collector street, sidewalks conforming to this requirement shall only be required upon that side of the street.
(16) Utilities. All electric, telephone, and other utilities extended within the mobile home development to each lot shall be constructed underground. All water and sanitary sewer service connections shall not exceed ten feet in length above ground directly beneath the mobile home, and shall be suitably protected against freezing.
(17) Street trees. A deciduous tree of a minimum of two-inches in caliper as measured one foot above the ground shall be planted on each lot within the mobile home park. Street trees shall comply with the approved list of acceptable trees by the City of Decatur.
(18) Landscape maintenance. The landscaping materials depicted upon the approved plat shall be considered a binding element of the project. The developer, his or her successor, or subsequent owners of the overall development shall be responsible for its continued maintenance. Plant material which exhibits evidence of insect pests, disease, and/or damage shall be removed and replaced within the next planting season.
(19) Street lights. Street lights are required to be put in at the developers’ expense, as per the Board of Public Works and Safety standards.
(20) Parking. Minimum two off-street parking spaces per trailer space. In no case shall that portion of the paved area designated for the off-street parking encroach upon the street right-of-way.
(C) Mobile home standards.
(1) The permitted use of such parks shall be limited to the following: manufactured homes, mobile homes and modular homes.
(2) Minimum living space. No mobile or modular home shall be placed, erected, or altered so that its ground floor area is less than 720 square feet, exclusive of porches, terraces, garages, and exterior stairs.
(3) Height requirements. The height of structures within the park shall not exceed 25 feet or two stories. Accessory structures shall not exceed 16 feet.
(4) Compliance. Within 30 days after location, the wheels of the mobile home shall be removed and a skirting of wood or metal shall be affixed.
(5) No mobile home site shall be rented in any park, except for periods of 30 days or longer.
(6) Recognizing that a variety of manufactured buildings exist not specifically designed for residential purposes, each manufactured home placed, erected or located within a manufactured home development shall contain, at a minimum, a flush toilet, sleeping accommodations, a tub or shower bath, kitchen facilities, and plumbing and electrical connections designed for attachment to appropriate external systems.
(7) Permanent foundation/perimeter enclosure required. All manufactured homes located within an approved manufactured home development shall be placed upon a permanent foundation and provided with a perimeter enclosure. For the purposes of this ordinance, placement of a manufactured home upon uniform jacks or blocks, upon a concrete pad, skirted with sheet metal, aluminum, wood, or other temporary material, and secured by tie downs, shall not be considered a permanent foundation and perimeter enclosure meeting this requirement.
(8) All improvements within the mobile home park shall conform to the standards delineated in Chapter 154 of this code of ordinances.
(Prior Code, § 150.194) (Ord. 2019-21, passed 11-4-2019)