Volusia County Council OKs ordinance allowing mobile homes on thousands more acres

Sheldon Gardner, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·3 min read

Volusia County Council members quickly voted 6-1 on Tuesday to expand the areas where mobile homes are allowed, a move intended to increase affordable housing options in the county.

The ordinance enacted by the council allows mobile homes within rural and agricultural zoning classifications. That includes the Resource Corridor (RC), Rural Agriculture (A-2), Transitional Agriculture (A-3 and A-4), Rural Residential (RR) and Rural Agricultural Estate (RA) zoning classifications.

The discussion brought stereotypes about mobile homes into focus.

There were no public comments during the meeting, but a couple of DeLand residents voiced concerns about the the ordinance as it made its way through the Planning and Land Development Regulation Commission. They cited the appearance of mobile homes and possible negative effects on property values.

At-Large Councilman Jake Johansson, who voted in favor of the ordinance, said the changes would help young couples buy an acre, start with a modest mobile home and upgrade to better housing over the years.

"I know the picture that some are painting that a mobile home might be this single-wide tin thing with tarps over the porch and some person with no teeth trying to cook a burger out back, when in fact my parents lived in a very nice double-wide mobile home that was better than any home I first lived in," he said. "So I think it's all a matter of who your neighbor is."

He said he would have a problem with the ordinance applying to a subdivision like his where he "can reach out and grab a cup of coffee" from his neighbor in the morning. But one acre of land gives room for neighbors to distance themselves.

Councilman David Santiago was the lone vote against the proposal. He raised concerns about unintended consequences such as impacts on property values. He said he is an affordable housing advocate but didn't think the ordinance was the right way to go about it.

"I think we should resharpen our pencils and look for other options," Santiago said.

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Volusia County officials included these renderings of mobile homes as part of an agenda item on expanding areas where mobile homes are allowed.
Volusia County officials included these renderings of mobile homes as part of an agenda item on expanding areas where mobile homes are allowed.

Mobile homes are already allowed as a principal use within mobile home zoning classifications MH-1-MH-8, Forestry Resource and Prime Agriculture zoning classifications, according to the county. In other rural and agricultural zoning, they are allowed with restrictions. In A-2, they are allowed as temporary housing for up to 18 months.

The county estimated that the ordinance will open 51,883 acres to mobile homes as a primary type of housing across several zoning categories.

A map from Volusia County government shows current and proposed areas where mobile homes are allowed by right. The proposed areas are lined in red.
A map from Volusia County government shows current and proposed areas where mobile homes are allowed by right. The proposed areas are lined in red.

The ordinance defines a mobile home as a dwelling that "is built on a permanent chassis and installed on a permanent or temporary foundation (concrete pads, dry-stacked blocks, and tie-downs)."

Mobile homes will have to follow manufactured home construction and safety standards of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and comply with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: County Council votes to allow more mobile homes in Volusia