City of Thibodaux Zoning Review - South Central Planning ...

2010 Thibodaux Zoning ReviewOption 2 Manufactured Home Parks are Not Needed:The separation of manufactured home parks into their owndistrict as Ruston did is probably not necessary. This is anotherform of residential development that occurs in a higher densityarea and could probably be allowed in other commercial districts.Thibodaux’s placement of mobile home parks in C-2 Commercialarea seems appropriate.Manufactured and Mobile Homes Long-TermRecommendationOption 1 An Overlay Zone:Several caveats are offered with adopting this overlayapproach verbatim from the City of Ruston Zoning Ordinance.The annual permit procedure seems cumbersome although itwould be the best way to track movement of homes off and onproperty. Some of the language shows that Pineville’s municipalboundaries may be encompassing areas that are more rural thanThibodaux’s immediate surrounds and care would have to betaken to eliminate such language. The same is true of set backand dimensional requirements like fencing. The fencing requirementsmight conflict with other portions of the Thibodaux code.Use of such a district will take time to develop beyond the scopeof this report but is definitely something that the city mightwant to explore more over the next year. Research on how theoverlay was developed, implementation, whether other townshave employed this tool for manufactured homes, etc., should allbe accomplished prior to quickly enacting such.A nearby example of a manufactured home subdivisionis found at Woodland Heights on La. Hwy. 20 just north ofThibodaux. This single family subdivision has lots laid out toaccommodate the different dimensions of a manufactured home.It is a low density development and could probably be accommodatedin other low density zones already existing in Thibodaux’scode. Development of such a policy might also mean amendingother codes like subdivision regulations and perhaps the floodplainmanagement code. Prior to going through the exercise ofwriting draft amendments and considering amending local policiesto accommodate manufactured home subdivisions, the cityshould consider whether there is really a demand for such withinthe confines of Thibodaux.Modular Home -Short-term RecommendationsOption 1 New Definitions/Education:The terms mobile, modular and manufactured homes appearto be used interchangeably. Interviewed subjects used the term“modular home” when explaining the nature of the moratorium.Moreover, Resolution 1550 adopted by the city council onMay 18, 2010 uses the terms “mobile home” and “manufacturedhome” interchangeably. A manufactured home (formerly knownas a mobile home) is built to the Manufactured Home Constructionand Safety Standards (HUD Code) and displays a redcertification label on the exterior of each transportable section.Manufactured homes are built in the controlled environmentof a manufacturing plant and are transported in one or moresections on a permanent chassis. Structures correctly referred toas mobile homes were either built prior to the 1976 HUD Code,or, if the homes were built after 1976, they fail to meet HUDCode standards. Manufactured homes are constructed accordingto a code administered by the U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development (HUD Code). The HUD Code, unlikeconventional building codes, requires manufactured homes to beconstructed on a permanent chassis.Modular homes are constructed to the same state, local orregional building codes as site- built homes. 7 Each comparativecity permitted modular homes to be located within all residentialareas. Legally, there is no basis to restrict these homes fromresidential neighborhoods. The confusion regarding the termsprobably contributes to the heighten fears regarding modularhomes. It is our recommendation that the council immediatelyinclude the definition for each housing type within the zoningordinance.Option 2 Specify Locations and Regulations:Since modular homes are subject to the same building coderegulations as site built homes, they cannot be restricted fromresidential areas. It is our recommendation that the zoning ordinancespecify which residential areas manufactured homes willbe permitted. Currently, the zoning ordinance permits mobilehomes in R-3 areas. However, it is unclear if manufacturedhomes are allowed in those areas as well.Modular Home Long-term RecommendationOption 3 Design Review:Code enforcement staff discussed some aesthetic concernsregarding modular homes. Apparently, the concerns of the cityofficials and residents are modular homes that do not conform tothe design character of the neighborhood. We strongly recommendthat the city adopts design standards for modular homes.Language should be included within the zoning ordinance thatwould require skirting (if home is on a chassis) and type of materialto be utilized to build the modular home. Plans should besubject to a design review by the Code Enforcement Staff.7U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development http://www.hud.gov/office/hsg/ramh/mhs/faqs.cfm59