WATSONVILLE >> Following a favorable vote by the Watsonville Planning Commission earlier this month, a resolution modifying the city’s municipal code regulating the closure or conversion of mobile home parks and mitigating the impacts of displaced mobile home park owners will go before the City Council for full adoption at its Tuesday meeting.

City Attorney Samantha Zutler wrote in a staff report that mobile homes provide an affordable housing choice at a time when California is experiencing a statewide housing crisis and provide accessible options for people of varying incomes, ages and abilities. Watsonville currently has 919 mobile home spaces, making up 6% of the city’s 14,882 total housing units, making it a vital part of the city’s housing stock.

However, Zutler wrote that increasing land costs and property values have resulted in many mobile home park owners in other jurisdictions closing their parks or converting them to other uses.“The closure or conversion of mobilehome parks result in critical economic impacts to mobilehome owners,” she wrote. This is because mobilehome owners, unlike apartment tenants or residents of other rental properties, are unique in that they purchase their mobilehomes and are homeowners, but the mobilehome structures are sited on a space that is rented or leased from a mobilehome park owner. Mobilehome owners thus make substantial investments in their homes and their spaces, which could be lost due to a mobilehome park owner’s decision to close.”

Additionally, Zutler wrote that relocations of mobile homes come with major costs and could result in structural damage, and many parks have restrictions on relocations depending on the structure’s age. Therefore, staff are proposing a trio of modifications to the municipal code to implement protections for displaced mobile home owners, clarify the process for closures or conversions of parks and clean up language in the code.

“State law recognizes the unique impacts that conversion or closure of a mobilehome park could have (on) mobilehome residents and prescribes a process to ensure that adverse impacts on displaced residents stemming from a park closure are appropriately mitigated,” Zutler wrote. “State law authorizes local jurisdictions to develop additional regulations to address conversions and closures of mobilehome parks.”

The first item is an additional chapter requiring mobile home park owners to apply for a conditional special use permit for conversion or closure, go before the City Council for consideration and provide notice to and meet with residents. Park owners would also be required to file a report on the potential impacts of a closure or conversion and provide the opportunity for mitigation benefits in the event of relocation.

The second item is a repeal of Chapter 14-42 of the Municipal Code, which was adopted in 1990 and provides guidelines on the conversions of mobile home parks. Zutler wrote that many of the provisions were outdated, have been preempted by state law and conflict with the proposed aforementioned new chapter.

“In order to ensure Chapter 11.4 is effective, Staff recommends repeal of Chapter 14-42,” she wrote.

The third and final item is an amendment to Section 14.-16.705, which details property development standards regarding mobile home parks. The proposed new language clarifies that mobile homes proposed for conversion or closure will be subject to the standards set forth in Chapter 11.4.

The matter went before the Planning Commission at its Sept. 3 meeting with the commission voting 4-0-1 to recommend the council adopt the resolution. Vice Chair Peter Radin abstained, Commissioner Jenni Veitch-Olson was absent and the District 4 seat is currently vacant. Residents and mobile home park owners also spoke at the meeting in favor of the ordinance, emphasizing that it would give them peace of mind should a mobile home park ever be forced to close.

In other business, the council will receive a presentation on the Recurso de Fuerza Village, a set of 34 temporary dwellings on the property of Westview Presbyterian Church.

The council will meet publicly at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers on the top floor of the Watsonville Civic Plaza, 275 Main St., Watsonville. A homelessness study session will also be held at 4 p.m., and the council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. to discuss legal matters.