Mobile Home Listings & News

County mulls extension of mobile home park conversion ban
By April Charlton/Senior Staff Writer


County staff plans to recommend that the Board of Supervisors extend to two years a recently adopted 45-day ban on conversions of mobile home parks to other uses.

The maximum time allowable for the 45-day urgency ordinance, which was adopted on a 4-1 vote Feb. 27, to be extended is two years, according to county planning staff.


“County staff will probably ask the board to extend the mobile home park moratorium to the maximum allowable two-year time limit,” County Planner Ted Bench said.

The supervisors will meet Tuesday, at which time a public hearing is scheduled to decide whether to extend the current moratorium or let it expire April 11.

To extend the moratorium, the vote has to be four-fifths in favor, Bench said.

Staff will ask for the extension to give them time to develop a permanent ordinance regulating mobile home park conversions - the county presently has no ordinance for park conversions or closures - and a work plan, Bench said.

The work plan would likely include avenues for creating more mobile home parks within the county, incentives for mobile home park owners to not convert or close their parks and the possible creation of a new land-use category specifically for mobile home parks.

“(Planning staff) will attempt to complete the assignments in much less time, perhaps within a year or so,” Bench added. “If staff brings new ordinances for the board to adopt in less than two years, we will also be asking ... to cancel the moratorium at that time.”

There are 40 mobile home parks in the unincorporated parts of the county, with a total of 2,600 spaces.

It's estimated that at least 6,000 people live in the 40 parks, most of whom are on fixed incomes and couldn't afford to live anywhere else.

Additionally, a new mobile home park hasn't been built for at least the last 10 years, according to county staff.

If the moratorium is extended, there would be exceptions allowing conversions and closures. Those exceptions include health and safety issues at a park that can't be abated or a demonstration by the owner of severe financial hardship, such as bankruptcy.

Meeting Tuesday

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday to decide if a 45-day ban on mobile home park conversions will be extended to two years. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. at the SLO County Government Center Board Chambers, Room D, 1055 Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo.

April Charlton can be reached at 489-4206, Ext. 5016, or acharlton@santamariatimes.com.