Re: the article, “Council considers mobile home changes,” in the June 1 edition of the Shuswap Market News.
The dated, 20-page document that was referred to in the article is Bylaw #162-1978. It contains the instructions for setting up a mobile home park (MHP) in Chase and, when reviewed by Urban Systems to update our Official Community Plan in 2006, was reaffirmed.
The renewed OCP stated that, “It is the policy of council to allow only single-wide mobile or other forms of manufactured housing in areas designated manufactured home residential.” This portion of the OCP was amended by council to allow some residential housing, especially for MHP owners, “where appropriate.”
The document contains the requirement that there only be one dwelling permitted in a MHP. Pine Street MHP currently has two as the former office on Pine Street was sold. Rezoning added another.
Additionally, the portion of the document that addresses recreational areas states there must be 500-square feet set aside for each unit for recreational purposes. This may not include space set aside for buffer areas, parking areas, ancillary buildings, mobile home spaces, driveways and storage areas.
Pine Street MHP would require 18,000-sq. ft. for this purpose. I believe that the intended building site is the recreational area and another public hearing is required.
Above all, I refuse to accept blame for the delays as all of these issues should have been dealt with at the first public hearing.
I believe that our competent bylaw officer was overruled to facilitate a speedy rezoning for a single Chase MHP owner.
I can see these changes being the slippery slope that allows a MHP to morph into a housing development. Making this an easy possibility will cause anxiety and devalue the investments of the approximately 170 mobile home owners already situated here.
Mary A. Porter