Ithaca City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 10
MH Mobile Home Park District
§ 10.01 Purpose.
The MH Mobile Home Park District is intended to preserve the interests of alternate types of residential developments which should be permitted in every community and to protect the residents of any mobile home type development. The regulations applicable to this district are considered as minimum standards to be applied to all mobile home park developments in the district.
§ 10.02 Permitted uses.
The following uses shall be permitted within the MH Mobile Home Park District:
(a)
Mobile homes.
(b)
Prefabricated (modular) housing.
(c)
Central offices, community rooms, or swimming pools/saunas.
(d)
Essential public utility service buildings or gas or electric regulator stations and buildings.
§ 10.03 Regulations.
10.03:1.
No mobile home park shall be so located or designed as to be in conflict with the requirements of this ordinance, Michigan Public Act No. 96 of 1987 (MCL § 125.2301 et seq.), or the rules of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Mobile Home Commission, promulgated pursuant to such act.
10.03:2.
The minimum size for a mobile home lot shall be 5,000 square feet.
10.03:3.
The minimum size of a mobile home park shall be 10 acres.
10.03:4.
Minimum width for a mobile home lot shall be 50 feet.
10.03:5.
Access to and within mobile home parks shall be as follows:
(a)
All mobile home parks shall have access to a concrete or asphaltic paved collector street as designated by the City of Ithaca official street map.
(b)
Convenient access to each mobile home site apron shall be provided by means of a minimum twenty-foot wide access route reserved to maneuver mobile homes into position and kept free from trees and other immovable obstructions.
(c)
Each mobile home lot shall contain adequate off-street parking for two vehicles.
(d)
All roadways and driveways shall be hard-surfaced, provided with curb and gutters, constructed so as to handle all anticipated peak loads, and adequately drained and lighted for safety and ease of movement of vehicles.
(e)
Public sidewalks meeting the specifications of the Building Inspector shall be provided on the street side of each mobile home site. All public walks shall be at least four feet in width. Shade trees may be planted in any unpaved area so formed, and otherwise, the public unpaved area shall be seeded or sodded and the grass maintained in a healthy condition.
10.03:6.
Utilities and other services for mobile home parks shall be as follows:
(a)
All mobile home parks shall be served by an approved central water and sewerage system and shall meet the requirement of the county health department and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
(b)
The plumbing connections to each mobile home site shall be constructed so that all lines are protected from freezing, from accidental bumping or from creating any nuisance or health hazard.
(c)
An adequate amount of running water to individual mobile home sites shall be piped to and meet the requirements of the county health department and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and shall be adequately protected from frost.
(d)
Storm drainage facilities shall be so constructed as to protect those that will reside in the mobile home park as well as the property owners adjacent to the park. Such park facilities shall be of such capacity to ensure rapid drainage and prevent the accumulation of stagnant pools of water in or adjacent to the park.
(e)
All electric, telephone and other lines from supply poles outside the park to each mobile home site shall be underground with a three-wire balanced, 110 to 120 volt supply.
(f)
Any fuel oil and gas storage shall be centrally located at a safe distance from any mobile home site. All fuel lines leading to mobile home sites shall be underground, and the storage facilities and fuel lines shall be so designed as to conform with the state construction code.
(g)
Facilities for the storage and disposal of trash and garbage in a sanitary manner shall be provided in each mobile home park. All refuse shall be stored in flytight, watertight, rodentproof containers, which shall be located not more than 150 feet from any mobile home site. Containers shall be provided in sufficient number and capacity to properly store all refuse. Refuse collection stands shall be provided for all refuse containers. Such container stands shall be so designed as to prevent containers from being tipped, to minimize spillage and container deterioration and to facilitate cleaning.
(h)
Street and yard lights in conformance with standards approved by the City, shall be provided in sufficient number and intensity to permit the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians at night, and shall be effectively related to buildings, trees, walks, steps and ramps. Such lights shall be utilized at least during the period of one hour after sundown to one hour before sunrise.
(i)
All plumbing fixtures shall be connected to a central sanitary sewer or City-approved facilities and shall meet the requirements of the Gratiot County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
(j)
Satellite dish receiving antennas shall be located so as not to be easily visible from any mobile home and shall conform to the requirements of § 4.06.
10.03:7.
Pads, mats or platforms. Each mobile home site shall be provided with a 3,000-pound/square-inch concrete pad, mat or platform not less than four inches in thickness. Minimum pad dimensions for single mobile homes shall substantially conform to the length and width of the particular mobile home designated to occupy the site. The pad elevation shall be a minimum of six inches higher than the sidewalk or top-of-curb elevations and should slope towards the street. All mobile homes shall be firmly anchored to the site. No more than one mobile home shall be permitted to be located on a mobile home site. In the case of double-wide units, the concrete pad may be replaced by reinforced concrete piers placed at the proper supporting points, subject to approval regarding strength, construction and location by the Zoning Administrator and the City Building Inspector.
10.03:8.
Landscaping. There shall be provided at least one deciduous hardwood tree of a minimum of 1 1/2- to two-inch caliper for each mobile home site. Trees may be planted in a vegetation strip, if one is planned, between the curb and sidewalk or in other open, unpaved areas. Dead trees shall be replaced.
10.03:9.
A six-foot greenbelt shall be provided along all exterior mobile home park boundary lines which do not abut a street or any other public right-of-way. A ten-foot greenbelt shall be maintained as a landscaped area unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground upward along all exterior mobile home park boundaries abutting a public right-of-way.
10.03:10.
One attached or detached accessory building may be located on a mobile home site. The floor area of the accessory building shall not exceed 100 square feet, nor shall an accessory building exceed 10 feet in height. No accessory building shall be located in a required off-street parking area (as defined in Article 2, building height).
§ 10.04 Permit application.
The construction, alteration or extension of a mobile home park shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable state and local regulations and this ordinance, and only after obtaining a permit for such as provided for in this article. In addition to the requirements set forth in Article 21 (site plan review procedure) of this ordinance, a sketch plan shall accompany each permit application, in four copies, giving the following information plus any other related information requested by the Planning Commission:
10.04:1.
Site boundary line locations and dimensions, plus the area of the mobile home park site.
10.04:2.
Number, location and size of each mobile home lot and all common open space areas.
10.04:3.
For each mobile home lot, the size and type of mobile home permitted or expected to be situated thereon.
10.04:4.
Location and dimensions of roadways, walkways, parking areas and outdoor recreation area.
§ 10.05 Public hearing.
The Planning Commission may require a public hearing, in which case notice shall be provided in accordance with normal practice to property owners located within one-half mile of the site.
§ 10.06 Site plan.
After the Planning Commission has approved the sketch plan, and after the public hearing, if any, has been held, the applicant shall submit a site plan as provided in Article 21 of this ordinance. The site plan shall be submitted in four copies and shall also contain detailed sketches of typical roadway, walkway and apron layouts and cross sections. If rezoning is involved, it is at this point that this matter should be acted upon, in accordance with § 33.02.
§ 10.07 Approval.
The permit application for a mobile home park development requires the approval of the Planning Commission and the City Council. In reviewing the proposed development's acceptability, the following questions should be among those considered by both bodies prior to official action being taken, and appropriate state, county and local administrative and legislative personnel may be requested to participate in the review process:
10.07:1.
Whether the proposed development is in accordance with the City's land use plan.
10.07:2.
Whether the proposed development meets all the design standards of this ordinance and other applicable local codes, regulations or ordinances.
10.07:3.
Whether the density characteristics of the proposed development are detrimental to adjacent properties and land uses.
10.07:4.
Whether the proposed development can be reasonably expected to constitute a health hazard or public nuisance to adjacent properties because of inappropriate or inadequate sanitation and/or drainage facilities.
10.07:5.
Whether the proposed development produces an extreme or undue demand on available fire and police protection services.
10.07:6.
Whether the traffic characteristics of the proposed development can be expected to place an extreme or undue burden on the adjacent publicly available vehicular and/or pedestrian circulation facilities.
§ 10.08 Periodic inspection.
The Zoning Administrator and/or his authorized agents are hereby granted the power and authority to enter upon the premises of any mobile home park at any time for the purpose of investigating or enforcing any provisions of this ordinance or related local ordinances applicable to mobile home park operations.