Mobile Home Listings & News

County to develop ordinance on mobile home parks


Proposal aims to better ensure EMS
04/04/07
By LEAH S. BETHEA
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The Laurens County Commissioners are proposing a mobile home ordinance that would better enable public safety and emergency personnel to respond to accidents in mobile home parks.

County Administrator Bryan Rogers said some mobile homes in the county are located so close together that EMS is having trouble traveling through the alleys in case of emergencies.

“It’s imperative that we put some type of specifications on these things,” Rogers said.

The proposed ordinance would require that mobile homes and buildings within the park have a front setback of at least 25 feet from the right-of-way of any public street or highway and a minimum setback of 10 feet from any road within the park area. All roads within mobile home parks, excluding a private driveway, will have a minimum right-of-way of at least 60 feet with a paved road bed of no less than 20 feet. Under the ordinance, three or more mobile homes constitutes a mobile home park.

A mobile home in the ordinance is defined as a “structure, transportable on its chassis, permanently equipped to travel on the public highways, that is used either temporarily or permanently as a residence on living quarters.”

Rogers said all mobile homes that are currently located in the county will be grandfathered in.

“This will have nothing to do with the existing mobile home parks,” Commission Chair Tal Fuqua said.

However, if any parks were to shut down for 90 days they would have to abide by the ordinance if they were re-established. There is currently no mobile home ordinance on the books.

Also Tuesday, the commissioners discussed a proposed amendment to the county’s subdivision ordinance.

Under the amendment, all subdivision lots will have to abut a county road by a minimum of 75 feet with the exception of a cul-de-sac, which will have a minimum abutment of 50 feet and have an area not less than the minimum square footage required by the Laurens County Health Department.

The amendment also eliminates a section regarding private gated communities. Under the proposed amendment, private gated communities will have to follow all of the county’s ordinances.

“We’re not making the ordinance any stricter that it already is,” Commissioner D.M. Mullis said.

Both ordinances discussed at the meeting are available for the public to view and will be voted on at the next commissioners meeting, set for April 17.

In other business, the commissioners:

•approved the meeting minutes for March 20;

•discussed a celebration for the 200th anniversary of Laurens County. Alan Thomas and Scott Thompson will co-chair the committee. The commissioners will appoint other representatives to the committee at their next meeting;

•heard from William F. Thompson, who expressed concern over the county’s decision to lay pipe on county roads but not state roads. The county had gotten out of the business because of liability, cost and other factors. Commissioner Emory Lake suggested further discussing the issue with the Department of Transportation to try and come up with a solution feasible for all parties. The commissioners made no decision Tuesday but agreed to take another look at the issue, which will be placed on their next meeting agenda;

•noted that May 5 through May 12 will be scrap tire amnesty days. Citizens may take up to 10 tires per person to the Laurens County collection centers on those days for no fee.