1001.06 MANUFACTURED HOMES

Subd. 1. Location of Manufactured Homes and Manufactured Home Parks.

A. Parking and Placement Prohibited. It shall be unlawful within the City for any person to park any manufactured home on any street, alley or highway, or other public place, or on any tract of land owned by any person, occupied or unoccupied, except as provided in this section.

B. Emergency Parking Permitted. Emergency or temporary stopping or parking is permitted on any street, alley or highway for not longer than three (3) hours subject to any other and further prohibitions, regulations or limitations imposed by the traffic and parking regulations or ordinances for that street, alley or highway.

C. Temporary Placement. Temporary special permits may be issued by the Council for use of a trailer as an office or residence by persons directly connected with new construction in the City, providing that such person has obtained a building permit for said construction and is proceeding with said work. Such temporary special permits shall be limited to periods of not more than ten (10) days following completion of the project or for twelve (12) months, whichever is less.

D. Conditional Use Permit Required. No person shall construct, locate, operate or maintain a manufactured home or manufactured home park within the City without first obtaining a conditional use permit, and all such other permits and licenses as shall be required and described herein.

E. Zoning and Sewage Requirements. No person shall construct, locate, operate, or maintain a manufactured home park in the City unless the proposed area is served by a public, municipal sanitary sewer, municipal water, and the property is zoned for residential manufactured home park, R-M.

F. Placement Outside a Manufactured Home Park Prohibited. No person shall park or occupy any manufactured home on either the premises of any dwelling or on any lot which is situated outside an approved manufactured home park unless such owner or person complies with applicable provisions of this Chapter, including Housing Performance Standards. Manufactured homes within an approved manufactured home park shall not be required to comply with Housing Performance Standards but shall be subject to the provisions of this Chapter.

Subd. 2. Conditional Use Permit Application. Required conditional use permits may be applied for pursuant to the terms of this Chapter and shall be issued if all requirements in this Chapter are met and all fees established in Section 212 of the City Code have been paid.

Subd. 3. Design Standards For Manufactured Home Parks.

A. Development Standards. All manufactured home parks shall conform to the following minimum standards for development of the park except, and in addition, those found in this Chapter.

1. Minimum Size. Every manufactured home park shall have a minimum of ten (10) acres and a minimum width of five hundred (500) feet.

2. Surface Drainage. Every manufactured home park shall be located on a well drained area and the premises shall be properly graded and equipped with storm sewers if necessary so as to prevent the accumulation of storm or other waters on the lots. However, runoff to adjacent properties shall not be increased. Where there is water ponding on the site, provisions shall be taken to retain the natural ponding features of the land and provide for the same amount of water storage in some manner at the site.

3. Parks and Recreation. A park dedication will be required based on dwelling units/acre. For parks with a density of less than five (5) units/acre, a dedication of ten (10) percent of the total park area is required. Densities of less than nine (9) units but greater than five (5), will require a dedication of twelve (12) percent. Any greater densities will require a dedication of fifteen (15) percent. The City may require park set asides to be furnished with such amenities as: playground equipment; tennis courts; shuffleboard, badminton or horseshoe courts; or other similar features.

4. Setbacks and Buffer Zones. There shall be a minimum setback of fifty (50) feet from any highway and thirty (30) feet between the park outside boundary line and any use within the manufactured home park. Such setback area shall be landscaped and screened by a fence and/or screen plantings of sufficient size and density to permit complete privacy for the residents of both the manufactured home park and adjacent properties. The City may, at its option, require fencing or other types of buffer in lieu of the above requirements.

5. Landscaping. Every manufactured home park shall be landscaped and maintained with seed or sod on the entire park except for areas used for streets, sidewalks, patios, manufactured home parking areas, or vehicle parking areas.

B. Lot Standards. All lots in the manufactured home park are subject to the following regulations:

1. Size. Each lot in a manufactured home park intended as the location for one unit shall contain not less than five thousand two hundred (5,200) square feet and shall have a minimum width of fifty (50) feet except corner lots which shall have a minimum width of sixty (60) feet and shall have a minimum depth of eighty (80) feet measured from the curb face to the rear lot line.

C. Additional Lot Regulations. All lots in the manufactured home park are subject to the following regulations:

1. Guest Parking Required. Each manufactured home park shall maintain a paved, off-street parking lot for guests of occupants in the amount of one space for each ten (10) lots.

2. Overload Parking Required. Each manufactured home park shall have not less than two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet of area for every twenty-five (25) lots set aside for overload parking and dead storage. This area shall be completely enclosed with a security fence and screened from view by dense shrubbery. The purpose of this area is for boats, trailers and other recreational vehicles.

3. Concrete Patio Required. Each lot shall have a concrete patio adjacent to each home in addition to the off-street parking area. Each patio shall be not less than one hundred fifty (150) square feet and a minimum of twenty-four (24) inches in width and three (3) inches in diameter.

4. Individual Site Preparation. Every manufactured home lot shall have a base of at least four (4) inches of compacted gravel or aggregate on the site where the home is to be parked, in addition to whatever foundation structures are necessary to secure the manufactured home anchors and tie downs.

D. Emergency Shelters.

1. Shelter Required. Every manufactured home park shall provide one or more tornado and wind storm emergency shelters with a capacity for thirty (30) percent of the occupants of the park. Each shelter shall be constructed so as to be dry, well ventilated, to have more than one exit, and to be capable of withstanding the impact of a manufactured home propelled by winds of tornado force. The entrance to the shelter shall be plainly marked by a sign with the words “Emergency Shelter” in six (6) inch letters.

2. Storm Warning Device Required. Every manufactured home park shall have a warning device for providing tornado or serious wind storm warning to its residents. This requirement may be waived if such device is located outside the park but is found to be servicing the park area.

E. Service Building and Service Facilities. Each manufactured home park shall have one or more service buildings to provide space for the park office, laundry facilities, sanitation facilities, and indoor community meeting and recreational space.

1. Manager's Office Required. Every manufactured home park shall have a central office for the manager or caretaker of the park.

2. Indoor Recreation Room Required. Indoor recreational or community meeting space shall be provided at the minimum ratio of ten (10) square feet of space for every four (4) lots in the manufactured home park, or section thereof served by the building. Space provided for such requirements as emergency shelters, laundry facilities, and other public service facilities shall not be deemed to meet the requirements of this section.

3. Setbacks Required. Setbacks from internal streets for all service buildings shall conform to the City's residential setback requirements.

F. Water Supply and Sewage Disposal Systems.

1. Water Connection Required. All manufactured home parks and the lots thereof shall be connected to the municipal water system.

2. Public Municipal Sanitary Sewer Required. All manufactured home parks shall have a sanitary sewer system connection to either a public municipal sewer system, or an appropriate public regional sewer system. The design and specifications of the sewer system shall meet the approval of the City Engineer and the Minnesota Department of Health.

3. Underground Utilities Required. All sewer and water system lines shall be underground.

G. Utilities, Fuel Supply Storage, and Lighting.

1. Underground Utilities Required. All utility lines for electricity, telephone, TV cable, gas or fuel oil must be underground. There shall be no overhead wires or supporting poles except poles for street lights or other lighting purposes.

2. Fuel Storage Regulated. All fuel supply and storage systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance with applicable state codes and regulations governing such systems.

3. General Illumination Required. The manufactured home park shall provide overhead lights to adequately illuminate the streets and thoroughfare sidewalks of the park and all service building parking areas and entrances. Such lighting will be shielded to prevent any light to be directed at traffic, nearby manufactured homes, or neighboring residential property in such brilliance as to constitute a danger or a nuisance.

Subd. 4. Annual Inspection Fees.

A. Inspection.

1. Building Inspector. All manufactured home parks shall be inspected annually by the City Building Inspector to ascertain that all provisions of this Chapter, all other applicable City ordinances, and the provisions of any conditional use permit are being observed.

2. Fire Inspection. All manufactured home parks shall be inspected annually by the City Building Inspector to ascertain that no fire hazards are present, to ascertain that fire hydrants and fire extinguishing equipment are in working order, and to ascertain that all provisions of this Chapter and other applicable codes and ordinances pertaining to fire protection and prevention are being observed.

3. Water System Inspection. All manufactured home parks shall have the water system inspected annually by a designated City inspector to insure that all hydrants and other water facilities are in proper working order.

B. City inspectors may make more frequent inspections as they may deem necessary.

Subd. 5. Operation Requirements.

A. General Operation and Maintenance:

1. Manager. Every manufactured home park shall have an adult manager or caretaker on duty in or about the park at all times, to keep the park, its facilities and equipment in a clean, orderly and sanitary condition, and to be available in case of emergencies. The manager or caretaker shall be answerable with said owner for the violations of any provisions of this Chapter.

2. Office. Each manufactured home park shall maintain a central office for the use of the owner or manager, distinctly marked OFFICE.

3. Map. A map of the park with all lots clearly numbered, shall be displayed at the park office. The lots themselves shall also be numbered in a manner visible from the frontage street. The park shall be open at reasonable times to the visiting public and a directory shall be readily available to visitors.

4. Lighting. The park grounds shall be lighted as approved by the City during all hours of darkness.

5. Public Address Prohibited. No public address or loud speaker system shall be permitted.

6. Rules. Each park shall adopt a set of rules and regulations for orderly operation of the park in conformance with this Chapter, and these rules shall be made available to the residents of the park.

7. Pets. No domestic animals or house pets of park occupants shall be allowed to run at large, or commit any nuisances within the limits of the park.

8. Clothes Drying. No exterior clothes drying shall be permitted upon any lot or any other area of the park except in an area specifically provided.

9. Transient Occupancy. The use of any lot or other area within the park for tent sites, camper trailers, pick up campers, or other transient occupancy use is prohibited.

B. Lot Regulations.

1. Placement Restricted. No more than one unit shall be parked upon any lot.

2. Occupancy Regulated. No home may be inhabited by a greater number of occupants than that for which it was designated.

3. Skirts Required. The base of all manufactured homes shall be enclosed with skirting, such skirting to be installed within ten (10) days from the date of installation of the unit. Such enclosure must be accessible for inspection and no obstruction shall be permitted that impedes the inspection of the manufactured home, plumbing, electrical facilities, and related equipment. No storage shall be permitted beneath the manufactured home.

4. Use Restrictions. All lots shall be used for residential purposes only. No commercial activity or signage will be permitted unless otherwise permitted by Zoning ordinances other than this section.

C. Lot Display Regulations. No homeowner nor prospective homeowner shall be required to purchase a home from the owner or operator of the park in which said owner desires to locate, or from someone designated by said owner of the park. This provision, however, shall not prevent the owner of the park from establishing certain minimal standards and conditions of quality and design as to homes permitted in a park owned by him.

D. Street Maintenance and Regulations.

1. Snow Removal. The park operator shall remove snow from the all streets, guest parking areas and public sidewalk areas within the park after each snowfall and these areas shall be kept sanded and/or free of ice and snow.

2. Maintenance and Repair. All streets within the park shall be kept in good repair, and kept clean and free of litter.

3. Speed Limit. A speed limit of ten (10) miles per hour shall be maintained within the park limits and signs shall be posted accordingly. The operator may use raised bumps or ridges across the road surfaces to assure compliance with the posted limits.

E. Storage and Parking.

1. On-Site Parking Restricted. No more than two (2) vehicles may be parked on any home lot.

2. On-Site Storage Prohibited. All boats, boat trailers, hauling trailers, and all other equipment not stored within the home nor the utility enclosure that may have been provided shall be stored in the overload parking area, and not upon the lots occupied by homes, nor upon the streets within the park, nor upon any other City streets.

F. Fire and Police Protection.

1. Fire Extinguisher Required. Every home occupied in the park shall be equipped with a fire extinguisher in usable condition. The occupant of the home shall be responsible for providing such extinguisher for his home.

2. Fire Extinguisher Required in Service Building(s). Portable fire extinguishers rated for classes B and C fires, with a capacity of ten (10) pounds dry powder, shall be kept visible in service buildings and at other locations as approved or required by the Fire Chief, for convenient access by all of the occupants of the park. Such fire extinguishers shall be maintained in good operation condition.

3. Open Burning Prohibited. No fire shall be kindled or maintained except in a stove, fireplace, barbecue pit, incinerator, or other equipment intended for such purpose. No such fire shall be left unattended. No fuel shall be used and no material burned which emits dense smoke or objectionable odors. Open burning is prohibited.

4. Storage of Flammable Liquids Prohibited. Storage of flammable liquids or materials or gases within or under the home is forbidden.

5. Litter and Rubbish Storage Prohibited. All areas of the park shall be kept free of litter, rubbish, and other flammable material.

6. Open to Police, Fire and Emergency Vehicles. The park shall be open to fire, police and other emergency vehicles and personnel at all times, and the law enforcement officers and the fire department shall be provided with a current directory showing the lot numbers and addresses.

G. Storm Protection.

1. Storm Warning Device Required. The storm warning device required for the park shall be kept in good operating condition and tested once a month at a designated time in a manner approved by the City.

2. Weather Alerts Required. The park manager shall be responsible for obtaining weather warning information from the appropriate media, and for alerting residents to the hazards of a storm via the warning device when any storm with damaging winds is imminent.

3. Emergency Shelter Maintained. The emergency shelter area or building shall be available for appropriate use twenty-four (24) hours a day. Entrances shall be illuminated during all hours of darkness. The manager shall keep the shelter area clean and sanitary, and stocked with emergency supplies and first aid equipment.

H. Refuse Handling.

1. Management Responsible. The park shall provide for the collection and disposal of all refuse and garbage generated within the park. The park may contract with private garbage haulers or provide the service itself. All refuse handling must adhere to the following standards:

a. Nuisance Prohibited. The storage, collection, and disposal of refuse in the park shall be so conducted so as to create no health hazards, rodent harborage, insect breeding, accident or fire hazards, or air pollution.

b. Garbage Collection Required. Garbage and refuse shall be collected and disposed of as frequently as may be necessary to insure that garbage receptacles shall not overflow.

I. Sewer and Water.

1. Maintenance Required. All sewer and water systems within the park shall be kept in good operating condition in conformance with regulations of the Minnesota Department of Health and the City. Any maintenance of water and sewer systems within the park shall be at the owner's expense, but shall be under the supervision of an official designated by the City, who shall have authority to initiate necessary repairs.

2. Water Pressure Maintained. If the City deems it necessary, auxiliary pumps to boost water pressure shall be installed at the expense of the park owner to maintain needed pressure for fire protection.

3. Service Charges. For sewer service and water service, when available, the City will charge the service rates established in the appropriate district. All charges will be computed on a per unit basis.

Subd. 6. Administration. Enforcement by the Building Inspector: Except as otherwise provided herein, this Chapter shall be administered and enforced by the Building Inspector, who is hereby designated as enforcing officer. The Building Inspector may institute in the name of the City any appropriate actions or proceedings against a violator as provided by law.

Subd. 7. Manufactured Homes and Manufactured Home Parks and Placement of Travel Trailers and Travel Vehicles.

A. New manufactured home parks and expansions to existing mobile manufactured home parks shall be subject to the provisions placed within the subdivision section of this chapter. The placement of new or replacement manufactured homes in existing manufactured home parks or on individual lots of record that are located in flood plain districts will be treated as a new structure and may be placed only if elevated on fill in accordance with this Chapter. If vehicular road access for pre-existing manufactured home parks is not provided, an elevation no lower than two (2) feet below the Regulatory Flood Protection Elevation, then replacement manufactured homes will not be allowed until the property owner(s) develops a flood warning emergency plan acceptable to the Governing Body.

B. All manufactured homes must be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system that resists flotation, collapse and lateral movement. Methods of anchoring may include, but are not limited to, use of over-the-top or frame ties to ground anchors. This requirement is in addition to applicable state or local anchoring requirements for resisting wind forces. Travel trailers and travel vehicles that do not meet the exemption criteria specified shall be subject to the provisions of this section.

C. Exemption. Travel trailers and travel vehicles are exempt from the provisions of this ordinance if they meet the following criteria:

1. Have current licenses required for highway use.

2. Are highway ready meaning on wheels or the internal lacking system, are attached to the site only by quick disconnect type utilities commonly used in campgrounds and trailer parks and the travel trailer/travel vehicle has no permanent structural type additions attached to it.

3. The travel trailer or travel vehicle and associated use must be permissible in any pre-existing, underlying zoning use district.

D. Areas exempted for placement of travel/recreational vehicles are: individual lots or parcels of record, existing commercial recreational vehicle parks or campgrounds and existing condominium type associations.

E. Travel trailers and travel vehicles lose this exemption when development occurs on the parcel exceeding $5,000 for a structural addition to the travel trailer/travel vehicle and all additions and accessory structures will then be treated as a new structure and shall be subject to the elevation/flood proofing requirements and the use of land restriction specified in this section.

F. New commercial travel trailer or travel vehicle parks or campgrounds and new residential type subdivisions and condominium associations and the expansion of any existing similar use exceeding five (5) units or dwelling sites shall be subject to the following:

1. Any new or replacement travel trailer or travel vehicle will be allowed in the Floodway or Flood Fringe Districts provided said trailer or vehicle and its contents are placed on fill above the Regulatory Flood Protection Elevation and proper elevated road access to the site exists, in accordance, an elevation no lower than two (2) feet below the Regulatory Flood Protection Elevation. Any fill placed in a floodway for the purpose of elevating a travel trailer shall be subject to requirements of this section.

2. All new or replacement travel trailers or travel vehicles not meeting the criteria of (a) above may, as an alternative, be allowed as a Conditional Use if in accordance with the following provisions and the provisions of this section. The applicant must submit an emergency plan for the safe evacuation of all vehicles and people during the 100-year flood. Said plan shall be prepared by a registered engineer or other qualified individual and shall demonstrate that adequate time and personnel exist to carry out the evacuation. All attendant sewage and water facilities for new or replacement travel trailers or other recreational vehicles must be protected or constructed so as to not be impaired or contaminated during times of flooding in accordance with this section.