It is the intent and purpose of this article to regulate the placing of mobile homes of all types and varieties in the city with regard to providing adequate standards to protect the public health, safety, morals, convenience and general welfare. These mobile home park regulations are established to:

(1)

Provide regulations and standards for the development of a safe, health, and well-designed community for permanent mobile home living.

(2)

Provide, in appropriately located areas within specific zoning districts, sites for mobile home living developed at reasonable density consistent with sound standards of public health and safety.

(3)

Comply as much as possible with the objectives and purposes of each zoning district in which mobile home parks are located.

(4)

Ensure adequate light, air, access, and open space for each mobile living unit.

(5)

Regulate the mobile home park such that it will complement the land use policy of the zoning district.

(Code 1991, §§ 13-1-110, 13-1-112)

(a)

Occupancy restricted without permit; exceptions for certain temporary uses. No mobile home as defined in this chapter shall be occupied or used for living or sleeping purposes unless it is located in an area that has been granted an appropriate permit by the zoning administrator. Temporary mobile homes or travel trailers used on construction projects or in conjunction with carnivals and circuses may be permitted when approved by the zoning administrator.

(b)

Mobile home parks. A mobile home park may be permitted by a conditional use permit in the R-3 Multiple-Family Residential and Urban Transitional (UT) Districts. Mobile home parks may be permitted on parcels or lots of record of not less than 200,000 square feet of area. All mobile home parks shall be developed in accordance with design standards set forth in this article.

(Code 1991, §§ 13-1-111, 13-1-113, 13-1-115)

(a)

Application conference. Prior to applying for a conditional use permit, the applicant is required to confer with the plan commission. A conference shall be scheduled by the plan commission within 30 days after receipt of the following basic information and data, displayed to scale on maps:

(1)

The boundaries of the property, existing easements and covenants affecting the property and land characteristics, such as natural drainage, swamp areas, and wooded areas.

(2)

Development characteristics, such as surrounding streets, existing buildings, available community sewer, water, and other utilities.

(3)

An overall land use development plan delineating the street system, parking areas, concrete pads, recreational areas, public and private utility installations, and additional on-site improvements.

Accompanying the land use development plan shall be a phasing plan for the development of the projects.

(b)

Plan commission review and recommendation. The plan commission shall review the proposed conditional use permit to determine its conformity with land development trends in the community, standards of the official comprehensive plan, and recognized principles of design, land use planning, and landscape architecture. The commission shall then convey in writing to the applicant approval, approval with conditions, approval with modifications or rejection. This communication must be made within 60 days of receipt of the conditional use permit application.

(c)

Conditional use permit filing procedure. After receipt of a written report from the plan commission, the applicant may file for a conditional use permit in accordance with the provisions of section 56-498 et seq.; provided, however, that conditional use permits under this article shall not be issued by the plan commission but shall require review and approval by the common council as provided in this section.

(d)

Review by common council Within 30 days after the close of the public hearing on the proposed conditional use permit, the common council shall make a written findings of fact. For the common council to make an affirmative recommendation, it must find in each of the following instances that:

(1)

The establishment of a proposed mobile home park will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, comfort, or general welfare.

(2)

The proposed mobile home park will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity for the purposes already permitted nor substantially diminish and impair property values within the neighborhood.

(3)

The proposed mobile home park will not impede the normal or orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the district.

(4)

Adequate utilities, access roads, drainage or other necessary facilities have been, are being, or will be provided.

(5)

Adequate measures have been or will be taken to provide ingress and egress to designed as to minimize traffic congestion in the public streets.

(Code 1991, § 13-1-114)

(a)

There shall be a maximum of six mobile homes per gross acre.

(b)

There shall be a minimum of 5,000 square feet of site area per mobile home.

(c)

A mobile home park shall provide indoor and outdoor community use facilities and recreation open spaces of which not less than 5,000 square feet in area for each ten acres or portion thereof shall be developed for use by children. The aggregate community use facilities and open spaces shall not be less than 200 square feet for each mobile home space.

(d)

Not more than one dwelling unit shall be located in any facility granted a conditional use permit under this section.

(e)

No mobile home, dwelling unit, or accessory building intended to serve the whole mobile home park shall be located in a required front yard or less than 25 feet from the property line of the mobile home park boundary.

(f)

Only one mobile home may be located on a mobile home site as designated in a mobile home park and subject to the following yards and setbacks:

(1)

Front yard and rear yard shall be a minimum of ten feet.

(2)

Side yard shall be a minimum of five feet.

(3)

Minimum distance of 20 feet between mobile homes or other principal permitted structures.

(g)

The only accessory structure permitted on individual mobile home sites shall be a temporary sun or wind shelter, or a storage building with a maximum size of ten feet by ten feet, and garages for the storage of motor vehicles.

(h)

All streets for automobile circulation shall be a minimum of 30 feet in width and surfaced with two inches of asphalt or its equivalent and six inches of compacted aggregate base.

(i)

A minimum of two improved parking spaces shall be provided for each mobile home, one of which shall be on the mobile home site.

(j)

All utilities, including television service, shall be underground.

(k)

Fencing and landscaping:

(1)

Adequate landscaping shall be provided, including trees and shrubs around the perimeter of the mobile home park.

(2)

Additional fencing and landscaping, including perimeter fencing along interior, side, and rear lot lines may be recommended by the plan commission as part of the conditional use permit for the mobile home park.

(l)

A designated camp and travel trailer and boat storage area shall be provided with an aggregate area of 50 square feet per mobile home space.

(Code 1991, § 13-1-116)