Chapter 18.245 MOBILE HOME PARK REGULATION CODE

(2) It is, therefore, declared to be the policy of the City to eliminate and prevent health and safety hazards and to promote the economical and orderly development and utilization of land by providing for planning and operating mobile home parks and by providing for the standards and regulations necessary to accomplish these purposes. [Ord. 1591 § 610, 2014.]

18.245.040 Authority.

This chapter is adopted pursuant to the provisions of chapter 59.20 RCW, RCW 35A.21.312 and other applicable laws. [Ord. 1591 § 611, 2014.]

18.245.050 Definitions – Use of words and phrases.

As used in this chapter, unless the context or subject matter clearly requires otherwise, the words or phrases defined in this section shall have the indicated meanings.

“Factory-built housing” means any structure designed primarily for human occupancy which is either entirely or substantially prefabricated or assembled at a place other than a building site, meets the requirements of the International Building Code, and bears the insignia of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Factory-built housing may also be called industrialized, modular, sectional, or sectionalized construction.

“Leasable” space means that area within the mobile home park designated on an approved site plan as lots for locating mobile home units with full utility hook-ups.

“Mobile home park” means an approved residential development as shown in the records of the Planning, Building and Public Works Department, and designed and approved in accordance with either the subdivision or the planned unit development regulations of the City, together with certain service/utility buildings and uses providing for the enjoyment and benefit of the residents of the mobile home park in which individual spaces are provided for the placement of a mobile home for dwelling unit purposes. Lots for mobile homes may be either rented or purchased.

“Mobile/manufactured home” means a factory-assembled structure or structures designed for human occupancy and equipped with the necessary service connections and constructed so as to be readily movable as a unit or units upon running gear. The support system of a mobile home shall be constructed so that the mobile home may be placed thereon and may be moved from time to time at the convenience of the owner. Mobile homes must bear the insignia of the State Department of Labor and Industries. The terms “mobile home” and “manufactured home” are considered to be interchangeable in the context of this chapter. A commercial coach, recreational vehicle, or motor home is not a mobile/manufactured home.

“Recreational vehicle” means a vehicular type unit primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use with or without motive power of such size and weight as not to require a special highway movement permit and certified as approved as such by the State Department of Labor and Industries. “Recreational vehicles” shall include but are not limited to campers, motor homes, travel trailers, and camping trailers.

“Recreational vehicle storage area” means a surfaced area enclosed by appropriate fencing provided for the storage of recreational vehicles. All recreational vehicle storage within the mobile home park shall occur in this designated area.

“Service building” means a building for the purpose of housing mobile home park community facilities.

“Utility building” means an accessory structure intended for the storage of typical outdoor equipment incidental to the occupants of the mobile home, i.e., lawn mower, lawn chairs, barbecue, etc. Utility buildings are limited to one per mobile home lot. [Ord. 1591 § 612, 2014.]

18.245.060 General requirements.

(1) Mobile homes are a permitted use in mobile home parks. Mobile home parks shall be developed in accordance with the requirements of either Title 17 DMMC or chapter 18.230 DMMC together with the requirements of this chapter.

(2) Recreational vehicles shall only be occupied for residential purposes as is set forth in RCW 35A.21.312. No recreational vehicle shall be occupied for commercial purposes anywhere in the City except in the case of temporary uses as authorized by the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee; provided, that under no circumstances shall a recreational vehicle be occupied for such commercial purpose for more than 30 days.

(3) Mobile/manufactured homes shall be used for residential purposes only, except for home occupations as defined in this Title.

(4) No space shall be rented or sold for any purpose within a mobile/manufactured home park except for a permanent residence.

(5) No person, company, or corporation shall establish a new mobile/manufactured home park, or enlarge the size of or increase the allowed density of an existing mobile/manufactured home park, without first complying with the provisions of this chapter.

(6) Where there is a conflict between the requirements of either Title 17 DMMC, chapter 18.230 DMMC, and this chapter, the most stringent provisions shall control.

(7) The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to factory-built housing. [Ord. 1591 § 613, 2014.]

18.245.070 Business license required.

All persons who rent or sell lots in a mobile home park for mobile homes and/or who sell mobile homes therein shall possess a valid business license from the City. In addition to meeting all requirements of chapter 5.04 DMMC, relating to business licenses, the mobile home park shall be inspected by the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health prior to issuance of a business license by the City Clerk. The applicant shall remedy all unsanitary conditions found by the Health Department. Failure to remedy such conditions shall be grounds for denial or revocation of the business license by the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee. All mobile home parks shall be inspected by the Planning, Building and Public Works Department annually for compliance to this chapter. Failure to remedy corrections in a timely manner shall be grounds for denial or revocation of the business license by the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee. [Ord. 1591 § 614, 2014.]

18.245.080 Density requirements.

(1) Mobile home parks shall be not less than three acres in size. The maximum site area of a mobile/manufactured home park, or combination of adjacent parks, shall be 10 acres. Parks shall be considered to be “adjacent” to one another unless they are separated by an unrelated land use, and not merely by a public or private street, easement, or buffer strip.

(2) The number of mobile homes in the mobile home park shall not exceed the allowable number of dwelling units in the zone district in which the mobile home park is located. [Ord. 1591 § 615, 2014.]

18.245.090 Development standards – Compliance.

In addition to the requirements of either Title 17 DMMC or chapter 18.230 DMMC, mobile home parks shall comply with the following development standards and requirements. [Ord. 1591 § 616, 2014.]

18.245.100 Development standards – Lots.

(1) Every mobile home lot shall be at least 2,400 square feet with a 40-foot frontage.

(2) Each mobile home lot shall be identified with an individual site number, each number a minimum of four inches tall in a logical numerical sequence, subject to approval by the Building Official, displayed in a manner pursuant to Section R319 of the International Residential Code throughout the mobile home park and readily identified from the roadways within the park. In addition, these numbers must be shown on the official site plan for the mobile home park. Site numbers shall not be mounted on the mobile homes.

(3) Every mobile home lot shall have a pad hard-surfaced with concrete or asphaltic concrete of minimum thickness of four inches. It shall be of a size not less than that of the mobile home to be parked on the lot. [Ord. 1591 § 617, 2014.]

18.245.110 Development standards – Lot coverage.

All impervious surfaces, including but not limited to mobile homes, service/utility buildings, carports, patios, driveways, and streets, shall not exceed 50 percent of the lot area. [Ord. 1591 § 618, 2014.]

18.245.120 Development standards – Setbacks.

(1) Minimum front yard setbacks for all structures shall be 10 feet.

(2) Minimum rear yard setbacks for all structures shall be 15 feet.

(3) Minimum side yard setbacks for all structures shall be 10 feet.

(4) Corner lots shall observe a minimum 15-foot setback from all streets and alleys.

(5) The minimum clearance between mobile homes shall not be less than 10 feet.

(6) The clearance between mobile homes and any service/utility building(s) situated on the same lot shall not be less than required by the International Building Code.

(7) Eaves may project up to a maximum of 18 inches into any required setback area. [Ord. 1591 § 619, 2014.]

18.245.130 Development standards – Parking spaces.

(1) A minimum of two off-street parking spaces per mobile home shall be provided on the lot on which the mobile home is located.

(2) In addition to occupant parking, guest and service parking shall be provided within the boundaries of the park at a ratio of one parking space for each two mobile/manufactured lots, and shall be distributed for convenient access to all lots and may be provided by a separate parking area. Clubhouse and community building parking facilities may account for up to 50 percent of this requirement.

(3) Setbacks for mobile/manufactured home units shall not be calculated for purposes of meeting the minimum parking requirements. All off-street parking spaces shall conform to the dimensional requirements contained in chapter 18.210 DMMC.

(4) Vehicles over 8,500 pounds gross license weight and recreational vehicles shall not be parked or stored on the individual lots or on any street. A separate storage area shall be provided with appropriate fencing and visual screening as determined by the Planning, Building and Public Works Department. [Ord. 1591 § 620, 2014.]

18.245.140 Development standards – Streets and access.

(1) Access to and from the mobile home park shall be from a minor arterial or collector street. Access to mobile home lots shall be from interior streets only. No individual access to any mobile home lot shall be from streets adjacent to the exterior of the mobile home park.

(2) All streets shall be constructed to City standards contained in chapter 12.15 DMMC.

(3) Pedestrian sidewalks shall be of concrete pavement a minimum of five feet wide on both sides of all streets.

(4) Driveways providing entrance to or exit from to the mobile home park shall be no closer than 150 feet from an intersection, measured from the existing or proposed right-of-way, whichever is the greater.

(5) All streets and access roads so designated either in the subdivision or PUD review process shall be completed prior to occupancy of any mobile home.

(6) All fire lanes shall be clearly marked and no parking shall be allowed in these areas. [Ord. 1591 § 621, 2014.]

18.245.150 Development standards – Building heights.

The maximum building height shall be 25 feet. [Ord. 1591 § 622, 2014.]

18.245.160 Development standards – Landscaping – Recreation space.

(1) At least 15 percent of the gross area within the mobile home park shall be set aside as active recreation space. The 15-foot buffer area required by subsection (2) of this section shall not be counted towards meeting the 15 percent requirement.

(2) A 15-foot minimum buffer area around the perimeter of the mobile home park is required. The buffer area shall contain perimeter screening of dense evergreen plantings, a minimum of five feet in height when installed, which will grow to a minimum of eight feet in height within five years.

(3) The developer shall furnish to the City a performance bond or other suitable security in a form approved by the City Attorney and in an amount approved by the Planning, Building and Public Works Department to ensure installation of the landscaping prior to any construction in the mobile home park. [Ord. 1591 § 623, 2014.]

18.245.170 Development standards – Drainage.

Drainage and runoff plans shall be approved by the Planning, Building and Public Works Director. [Ord. 1591 § 624, 2014.]

18.245.180 Development standards – Sewers.

Each mobile home shall be connected to sanitary sewers. A valid side sewer permit shall be obtained prior to any connection to any sewers. [Ord. 1591 § 625, 2014.]

18.245.190 Development standards – Utilities.

Every mobile home shall be permanently connected to electric power, water supply, sewage disposal, gas, cable television, and telephone service lines in compliance with applicable municipal codes. All utilities shall be placed underground in accordance with the provisions of chapter 12.25 DMMC. [Ord. 1591 § 626, 2014.]

18.245.200 Development standards – Lighting.

Artificial lighting shall be provided sufficient to illuminate walks, driveways, and parking areas to ensure the safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles at night. Artificial lighting shall be high pressure sodium lamps or equivalent. These exterior lights shall be such as will turn on and off automatically with dawn and dusk. Lighting shall be directed away from adjacent properties. [Ord. 1591 § 627, 2014.]

18.245.210 Development standards – Recreation areas.

Playground facilities or play areas shall be conveniently situated, containing a minimum of five percent of the total gross area of the park and shall be restricted to such use. Such an area shall further be placed within the mobile home park so as to be properly protected from streets, highways, roadways, and parking areas. Such playground space may be provided in one or more locations within the mobile home park. [Ord. 1591 § 628, 2014.]

18.245.220 Development standards – Screening.

(1) An ornamental wall, fence, or screen planting acceptable to the Planning, Building and Public Works Department not less than six feet and not more than 10 feet in height shall be erected and maintained along the side and rear boundaries of a mobile home park. Where, in the opinion of the Planning, Building and Public Works Department, it is unreasonable to require a wall or fence due to the nature of the existing topography or other existing conditions that might render such a wall or fence ineffective, the department, at its discretion, may waive or modify the requirements as specified in this section.

(2) All outdoor storage in and around mobile homes shall be screened as prescribed in DMMC 18.195.060 except that a five-foot-deep landscape area shall not be required. All screening shall be approved by the Planning, Building and Public Works Department. [Ord. 1591 § 629, 2014.]

18.245.230 Development standards – Solid waste and recycling.

(1) The storage, collection, and disposal of solid waste in the mobile home park shall be conducted so as to prevent health hazards, rodent harborage, insect breeding areas, accidents, fire hazards, and air pollution. It shall be the responsibility of the mobile home park owner to ensure safe and sanitary storage, collection and disposal of refuse as required in DMMC 7.04.090.

(2) Community-type containers will be required and shall be located not more than 150 feet from any mobile home lot.

(3) These collection areas shall be screened according to the provisions of chapter 18.195 DMMC.

(4) Recycling facilities shall be provided as determined by the Planning, Building and Public Works Department. [Ord. 1591 § 630, 2014.]

18.245.240 Development standards – Skirting.

Skirtings are required and shall be constructed of like material to the mobile/manufactured home material. Every mobile home skirt shall be provided with a door or easily removed portion thereof through which an inspector may gain access to the crawl space under the unit. [Ord. 1591 § 631, 2014.]

18.245.250 Adoption of mobile home regulations by reference.

Chapter 296-150B WAC, Standards for Mobile Homes, Commercial Coaches, and Recreational Vehicles, as presently constituted or as may be subsequently amended, is adopted and shall be applicable within the City. [Ord. 1591 § 632, 2014.]

18.245.260 Smoke detectors.

Smoke detectors, of a type approved by the Building Official, shall be installed in all newly set mobile homes. [Ord. 1591 § 633, 2014.]

18.245.270 Furnace controls – Power switch.

All furnace controls and power switches shall be placed on the exterior of the furnace enclosure. [Ord. 1591 § 634, 2014.]

18.245.280 Tie downs.

All mobile homes shall be equipped with tie downs of a type that has been approved by the Building Official. [Ord. 1591 § 635, 2014.]

18.245.290 Site plan required – Preexisting parks.

The owners of mobile home parks existing before July 1, 1992, shall provide the City with a site plan, prepared by a professional surveyor or engineer and/or in a form acceptable to the Planning, Building and Public Works Department, showing the number of mobile homes presently on the site, their location, and the dimensions of all lots and the location and size of all roads, sewers, water lines, all other utilities and other structures on the property. The site plan shall be submitted in conjunction with the application for renewal of a business license as required by this Title. [Ord. 1591 § 636, 2014.]

18.245.300 Preexisting mobile home parks.

(1) All mobile home parks existing before July 1, 1992, and which were in compliance with existing City or county codes at the time of their establishment, shall be legal, nonconforming uses and are entitled to the number of mobile homes which was permitted by the applicable ordinance in effect at the time the mobile home park was established, the number and configuration of individual spaces which are provided for placement of a mobile home for dwelling unit purposes existing on July 1, 1992, and the privilege of locating in such spaces mobile homes of a size suitable to the dimensions of the individual spaces and subject to the setback requirements which were in place at the time the mobile home was placed;

(2) The owner of the mobile home park shall provide the City Planning, Building, and Public Works Department by January 31, 2004, a plan or schematic of the mobile home park drawn to scale, showing the location and dimension of each space for the placement of mobile homes;

(3) All other provisions of this mobile home park regulation code shall be applicable; and

(4) No increase in density and no increase in the number of mobile homes are allowed unless all of the provisions of this chapter are met. [Ord. 1591 § 637, 2014.]

18.245.310 Administration.

The Planning, Building, and Public Works Director or his/her designee shall enforce the terms of this chapter according to the provisions of this chapter. [Ord. 1591 § 638, 2014.]

18.245.320 Inspections.

(1) No person may occupy or allow or suffer another person to occupy a mobile/manufactured home before the same has been inspected and approved by the State Department of Labor and Industries, and the installation has been approved by the Building Official.

(2) The installer/owner shall request an inspection after all aspects of the installation, other than installation of the skirting, have been completed. If the inspection is not completed within 10 business days, the tenant or owner may occupy the mobile/manufactured home at his or her own risk. Occupancy before inspection does not imply City approval. [Ord. 1591 § 639, 2014.]

18.245.330 Mobile/manufactured home installation.

No person may install a mobile home unless that person owns the mobile home, is a licensed mobile home dealer, or is a contractor registered under chapter 18.26 RCW, as presently constituted or as may be subsequently amended. [Ord. 1591 § 640, 2014.]

18.245.340 Permits for accessory structures.

Building permits shall be required pursuant to this chapter for all accessory structures on a mobile/manufactured home lot, including but not limited to awnings, porches, steps, decks, storage sheds, and carports. [Ord. 1591 § 641, 2014.]

18.245.350 Park administration.

(1) The owner(s) of a mobile/manufactured home park shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of the park in strict conformity with this chapter, the building site plan, and all other applicable laws and ordinances.

(2) A mobile/manufactured home park shall have internal rules and regulations governing, at a minimum, the following:

(a) A requirement that all tenants comply with state inspection codes at the time a mobile/manufactured home is installed or modified.

(b) A requirement that all tenants comply with zoning code restrictions relating to the use of their mobile/manufactured home and lot.

(c) A requirement that all landscaping, buffer areas, recreational areas and facilities, storage areas, streets, walkways, and other common areas and facilities be continuously maintained to at least the minimum standard required by the City and approved by the enforcing agency at the time of initial occupancy.

(3) A mobile/manufactured home park shall have a resident manager who shall be the agent of the owner with authority to communicate directly with City officials regarding compliance with codes and requirements and who shall be responsible for the enforcement of park rules and regulations. [Ord. 1591 § 642, 2014.]

18.245.360 Snow design load requirements.

All newly placed or moved mobile/manufactured homes are required to meet the local snow design load of 25 pounds per square foot. [Ord. 1591 § 643, 2014.]

18.245.370 Maximum age of structure.

All new placed or moved mobile/manufactured homes are required to comply with the age provisions set forth in RCW 35A.21.312. [Ord. 1591 § 644, 2014.]