Though Greensburg’s City Council eventually voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow the placement of a single section manufactured home in a residential area, the discussion leading to that decision rekindled an ongoing debate over the implications of allowing such structures within city limits.
The City’s Planning Commission originally approved last month the request of Jennifer Rodriguez and her fiancée, Andy Kooken, to locate the home at 519-527 East Nebraska on property purchased 16 years ago by Jennifer’s mother, Georgina Rodriguez. Upon the commission’s approval the final decision was left to the council, which operated Tuesday with Councilman Gary Goodheart convening in the absence of Mayor Bob Dixson. Representing the couple’s interest in their absence was Georgina Rodriguez.
Shortly after presentation of the proposed ordinance allowing the structure’s placement councilwoman Erica Goodman spotted Greensburg GreenTown head Daniel Wallach having arrived, proceeding to ask Wallach about the sustainability of such a home.
“They’ve usually not very sustainable,” Wallach replied, “because with the way they’re built they’re not very durable and not very energy efficient. The reputation of them (such homes) is at the opposite end of the scale.”
Saying such a factor was “something to be considered,” Goodman then asked if “any other type of housing” had been considered by the couple.
“My house is a single wide,” Georgina Rodriguez replied, “and I don’t think you can tell that by looking at it. It’s all in what you attach to them and how you put them down. I can’t see them (Kooken and Jennifer Rodriguez) putting $200,000 into a business and then another $200,000 into a home.” When asked later what type of business, Rodriguez replied the couple was looking into establishing a butcher shop on property purchased from the Masonic Lodge on the site of the former Dillons the Masons have purchased since the tornado. She also indicated the couple had not been able to achieve residence in one of the townhomes now completed on South Main.
Saying he agreed in principle with Goodman’s concern over the sustainability of newly established housing in town, Councilman Matt Christenson pointed out the City had yet to incorporate sustainability criteria within its code.
Rodriguez at that point mentioned that while no structure had been placed on her property since its purchase she had diligently maintained the property. “And it’s (the couple’s manufactured home) going down on a permanent foundation,” she added.
Councilman Gary Trummel then voiced concern over setting a precedent by approving the Planning Commission’s recommendation, asking, “If we do this what do we do with the next one that wants to do the same thing?”
“We need to come up with a location for a trailer park rather than having them scattered throughout town,” Christenson answered. “I would encourage staff to explore the possibility of establishing a trailer park. We need to have a properly zoned area, but I’m inclined to grant this request since we don’t have such a zoned area now.”
“It’s very difficult to convince a developer to develop a trailer park,” City Administrator Steve Hewitt said. “And it’s going to be hard to find a place for that since the Master Plan doesn’t call for this.”
Saying she wasn’t wanting to “stand in the way of someone getting a home or starting a new business,” Goodman went on to say she felt it was incumbent upon the community to maintain high sustainability standards in housing in view of having “a company like Xtreme asking us to put our money where our mouth is…we need to consider what an approval of this says about our commitment to what they’re (Xtreme) looking for.” Goodman’s reference was to Xtreme Structures of California looking to establish a sizeable custom home building factory in Greensburg with the understanding the community would extend to its residential areas the high criteria for building green already set in motion in government and commercial buildings.
Goodman, however, eventually voted with councilmen Brandon Hosheit, Christenson and Trummel in okaying the Planning Commission’s recommendation. Part of that recommendation stipulates Kooken and Rodriguez must meet the following conditions in placing the structure on East Nebraska:
*storm shelter installed before occupancy;
*deck installed as shown on the submitted site plan;
*roof pitch of at least 3/12;
*tongue/axle/wheels/lights removed;
*owner of unit and owner of land to be the same person;
*exterior finish materials to be similar to that of more traditional built housing;
*perimeter curtain wall of masonry;
*crawl space of 24 inches with 24X24 access door;
*paved off street parking for two vehicles;
*attachments to be secured to ground rather than to unit;
*unit to be no more than ten years old.
Greensburg, KS —
