Memo Code Enforcement - Pines Mobile Park
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C_ CITY OF HOPKINS
MEMORANDUM
DATE: February 9, 1993
TO: HOnOrable~~ an4 city council
FROM: Tom Harmeni\1 j Community Development Director
SUBJECT: CODE ENFORCEMENT - PINES MOBILE HOME PARK
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I. Purpose of Discussion
The purpose of this item is to apprise the City Council of.
actions which staff proposes to undertake to commence enforcement
of codes relative to the pines Mobile Home Park. Staff would be
interested in any feed back or direction the Council may wish to
provide.
//,. n. Summary of Issue
In February of 1990 the City adopted an ordinance which
established various standards relative to manufactured home parks
which affected both the owner of the pines Mobile Home Park and
the residents living in the park.
The ordinance required the owner of the Pines to undertake
certain improvements and activities by February 6,1993 to
address various code matters relative to health and safety
concerns. These various codes pertained to providing a storm
shelter, or a plan for providing an offsite.storm shelter,
upgrading the electrical system, the need to provide information
relative to the adequacy of the sewer and water infrastructure,
and the layout and location of all roads, landscaping, utilities,
etc. The ordinance also established various standards relative
to the individual units in the pines Mobile Home Park.
The current owner of the pines Mobile Home Park was fully aware
of the proposed ordinance in 1990.
At this point, the owner of the pines Mobile Home Park has not
met the deadlines outlined in the ordinance. Prior to the
February 6 deadline staff contacted the owner of the pines to
. remind him of the deadlines.
Staff has also become concerned with health safety issues
relative to the individual homes and residents in the Park. In
this case, staff has done an outside inspection of all units in
the Park and has compiled a list of various code violations.
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Honorable Mayor and city council
e February 9, 1993
Page 2
Almost all units in the park had some type of violation. These
violations in some cases are somewhat minor in nature and relate
to the lack of house numbers, outside skirting, improper setbacks
of accessory structures from the homes, etc. Other violations
are more serious in nature and involve the lack of landings and
handrails or improper or unsound landings, and the need to
upgrade the electrical hook ups to the homes. In certain cases,
these improvements could cost +/- $1,000.
Approximately a month ago staff sent a letter to the residents of
the pines indicating that we had uncovered various code
violations and would probably be contacting them in the near
future outlining for them the corrections which they needed to
make.
III. Proposed Actions
What follows is a general description of the actions which staff
proposes to take to address code issues which are the
responsibility of the owner of the park, as well as code issues
It which are the responsibility of the residents of the park. These
actions are as follows:
0 Owner of the Pines Mobile Home Park
Staff proposes to issue orders to the owner of the Pines
Mobile Home Park which requires the owner of the Park to
undertake the following:
- within 30 days either provide a storm shelter within
the park, or a plan to provide a storm shelter off site
which is acceptable to the city. Currently, the owner
of the park does not meet state statute requirements or
city code relative to providing a storm shelter, or a
plan for a shelter. Staff and the State have been
dealing with the owner of the park for some time on
this issue, with no resolution in sight. Due to the
fact that the spring storm season is approaching, staff
feels it imperative to address this matter in the very
near future.
- within 90 days the owner of the park is required to
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undertake the necessary upgrades to the maln electrlcal
system in the park. This is a specific item outlined
in the City's mobile home park ordinance. It is
,. necessary for the owner of the park to upgrade the
electrical system such that the residents of the park
can upgrade their own specific electrical hookups to
the park system.
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Honorable Mayor and City Council
~FebrUary 9, 1993
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- Within 120 days the owner of the park is required to
meet the requirements in the City Code for maintaining
roads, providing adequate parking, provide the city
with information regarding the water and sewer piping
systems, and upgrading these systems as necessary to
meet codes, and other requirements outlined in the
City's ordinance.
If the owner of the pines does not comply with these time
lines the City has various alternatives available to remedy
the violations. These include filing a criminal or civil
complaint or having the necessary work completed by the City
with costs incurred by the city being charged against the
property.
0 Residents of the pines Mobile Home Park
Staff proposes to issue orders to the residents of the Pines
requiring the following:
- within 120 days the owners of the homes would need to
e undertake improvements as applicable relative to the
placement of house numbers on the homes, installation
of landings and handrails where necessary, improvements
to existing landings and handrails as applicable,
installation of skirting around the homes and providing
for proper setbacks for accessory structures.
- within 150 days the residents will be required to
undertake improvements to their electrical hookups. A
longer period of time is given for the residents to
complete this as it is necessary for the owner of the
park to make certain improvements before the residents
can undertake their improvements.
Please note that the city's code provides the residents and
the owner of the park with the ability to appeal the City's
orders. This appeal process does require Council review.
In light of the fact that more than 50 homeowners in the
park will receive orders from the City, it is likely that a
number of appeals will be received.
TH02093A
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