Thomasville deals with older mobile home parks
By Arthur McLean
Editor

Thomasville's city council approved an amendment to its mobile home ordinance Monday night, grandfathering a number of mobile home parks in town, but with restrictions.

With the mobile home ordinance as it stood, older mobile home parks that were not in compliance would have to bring their entire parks into compliance before any new or replacement units could be put in the park.

The driving example is a park owned by Buddy Crow. The separation between homes does not meet the current standard's minimum of 30 feet. If a unit is removed, according to the original ordinance, the entire park would have to be brought into compliance before another home could replace it.

Crow argued to the council that making the entire park meet code would be a financial hardship, and the current spacing of about 20 feet between homes was done with the best intentions and under the guidance of the city's fire chief at the time he set up the park.

Some of Thomasville's newest parks, were actually initially set up just before the ordinance was approved. Those have also been grandfathered in, despite the displeasure some council member have had with them.

Councilmember Charles Allen sees the newer mobile home parks as a deliberate attempt to beat the mobile home ordinance.

While mobile homes in one park were only recently put in place, water taps were purchased for the park prior to the mobile home ordinance. The planning commission deemed that to be the establishment of a park.

While the mayor and planning commission has had discussions with mobile home park owners about trying to meet the more stringent regulations, the city has no real legal power to force them, Mayor Sheldon Day said.

"The best thing to do is to get the zoning ordinance passed," Day said.

Continuing to deal with mobile home park issues, city attorney reported that the planning commission reached an agreement with Marc Prescott where Prescott would allow a utility and emergency easement for the city from Morgan Street to one of his new mobile home parks, off Tallahatta Springs Road.

The council approved a mobile home park for Michael Pugh. The council's action only agrees to two lots and the park must meet the requirements of the city's mobile home ordinance.

Day reported that nearly all of the office space in the new building under construction downtown by Mike Inlow is under lease, and that there is great interest in the apartment units on the building's second floor.

Alberta Dixon said that the more artistic prisoners at the LIFE Tech center in Thomasville were interested in doing work around town. She and Day talked about the possibility of the prisoners doing a mural downtown. Day said he would talk to the center.

Day requested permission to work with state representatives to draw up paperwork that could establish a governing body to handle the federal community rehabilitation grant if it is awarded. The city requested $4 million dollars for the Hurricane Katrina revitalization project. Day reported that the city's proposal made it into the state's overall proposal that will be sent to the federal government.

Day told council members that he would likely have a draft alcohol control ordinance available for council members at the Nov. 20 zoning hearing.

City hall will be closed Friday for Veteran's Day.

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