City OKs mobile home park by one vote
By JOHNNY JOHNSON
The Daily Sentinel
www.dailysentinel.com
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Billy Huddleston Jr. attempted to send a message Tuesday night that the Southwest Ward did not want or need any more manufactured home parks.
He was outvoted ? 2 to 1.
With two commissioners not present, Mayor Bob Dunn and Commissioner Don Partin voted to allow David J. Guillory and A.W. Hunt to proceed with plans to develop a manufactured home park near the intersection of Lake and Goldberry streets.
But as Guillory pointed out ? the term "manufactured home park" didn't really fit the concept of a fully developed residential area with 21 separate lots, paved driveways, carports, permanent foundations and even a one-acre recreation or play area.
"I guess it's more like a manufactured home subdivision," Dunn said, after hearing what Guillory and Hunt were proposing.
No one came to speak against the request and both city staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, but Huddleston said there are already designated areas for manufactured homes, and it's not something his ward needs more of.
"In a perfect world ? yes ? it would be nice if everyone kept up their homes and kept them looking nice," Huddleston said. "But it usually doesn't happen, and those are some of the concerns of mine and others that live in the Southwest Ward."
Guillory, a local attorney who is developing the project with Hunt, said that the difference between this proposal and the rental trailer park atmosphere is the difference between night and day.
"I think that if you allow (people) to take control of their own destiny, and they are allowed to make investments instead of renting, what we will see is that those same people will start taking pride in their investments," Guillory said.
Having 21 newer, code-approved homes ready for purchase is a far cry from someone coming by to collect rental income for mobile homes and putting as little as possible into the property, Guillory said.
"We think you should give this a chance," he said. "You don't see anyone developing new neighborhoods in that ward."
Huddleston shot back that Guillory was exactly right ? there is no new residential construction.
"But in that area there are several dilapidated mobile home parks," Huddleston said.
Huddleston said he really was hoping that Guillory and Hunt would consider selling their lots for people to put new homes on.
Guillory said that he was afraid that would be out of a lot of people's price range, but this project could possibly help that to happen at a future date.
"We think this will encourage more new growth," Guillory said. "It's an investment in that area that will bring children and new life into an area that is becoming depressed."
Huddleston was not pleased with the vote, and said he couldn't help but wondering if it would have been different if one or both commissioners who were not present had been there.
"There have been a lot of people who have been happy about the fact that there haven't been any new mobile home developments, and then this pops up," he said. "My ward shouldn't be a dumping ground for mobile home parks, just because there's no new development planned."
In other business, commissioners:
? Awarded a contract to Shell Aviation to allow the city to provide aviation fuel services for the A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport.
? Canceled the city commission meeting scheduled for Jan. 2.
? Approved minor changes to the city's historic preservation ordinance, giving the city manager the power to appoint an historic preservation officer.
