“The Lexington City Council unanimously approved an amendment to city ordinances Monday making that change. Under the new rules, property owners can replace a mobile home with a stick-built or prefabricated home,” the Dispatch stated.
The new amendment still allows home owners to move a factory built home within property boundaries, or to make needed repairs without being required to replace them with a site built house.
Ed Parks spoke against the amendment during the public hearing. Parks stated it was unfair to create a financial burden on residents who were trying to live more economically.
“It isn’t a crime to be poor,” Parks said. “It can be expensive to replace a trailer [sic] with a house.”
“Lexington City Planner Josh Monk said that although manufactured homes provide an affordable means of housing, they do not lend permanency to neighborhoods and therefore are permitted on a limited basis,” stated a shockingly ignorant passage in the Dispatch.
Monk said the purpose of the amendment is to ensure compatibility with existing neighborhoods by imposing appearance standards for manufactured housing.
“The amendment does not change any current permitting or regulations for trailers [sic] already within manufactured home zoning districts.”
Local Star Chambers Wage War on Affordable Housing – manufacturedhomelivingnews.com
“The one issue that will prohibit affordable housing in the future – not only manufactured homes, but site-built – is local zoning and covenants.” – Jay Hamilton, executive director of the Georgia Manufactured Housing Association Armed with facts, figures and studies, he explained that manufactured homes were as well or better built, more fire resistant, more wind resistant – and far more affordable – than their site-built counterparts.
MHProNews has brought the matter to the attention of a pair of attorneys for their feedback. The case seems to have some similarities to one in Arkansas, that resulted in a lawsuit, and the ordinance being overturned.
“Mobile Home Ban” Suit Win, “Equal Justice Under Law,” Manufactured Home Owners, Buyers, Industry
This amendment in Lexington, NC appears to be the latest case of discrimination against manufactured homes and their owners. ## (News, analysis and commentary.)
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Soheyla is a managing member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
