Board OKs new rules for homes
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on October 25, 2005 1:48 PM
FAISON -- Officials say they hope they have put a stop to a problem with dilapidated and abandoned mobile homes in Faison with new rules regarding the structures.
The Faison Town Board adopted an amendment to the town's zoning ordinance offering new standards and limitations on where mobile homes can be placed Monday night. Town officials have tried for months to reach an agreement with mobile home owners regarding the changes.
Under the new ordinance, all mobile homes must be underpinned and otherwise brought up to the building code within nine months. Abandoned mobile homes will be removed at the owner's expense. Also, no mobile homes can be placed where no previous mobile homes existed. The new rules require any replacement mobile homes to be permitted and inspected by the zoning administrator.
Permits will not be issued for replacement mobile homes in the historic district, but the town has adopted a new historic district map, which includes only two mobile homes. There were several mobile homes grandfathered in according to the previous zoning map, which town officials discovered was not accurate.
The vote was unanimous Monday night to adopt the amended ordinance, but in August, none of the town commissioners raised their hands when Mayor Bill Igoe called for a vote.
The original amendment included a provision that gave owners only 180 days to find a replacement, obtain a zoning permit, have the new mobile home inspected and receive approval. Mobile home owners said that was not enough time.
Town commissioners originally rejected the planning board's proposal at their last regular meeting. At that meeting, the vote for the new ordinance was 4 to 1, with Commissioner Curt Sheaffer voting for the measure.
The planning board then provided a rough draft of a new zoning map showing a realigned historic district during a second, special called meeting.
The vote Monday night was on that revision.
Commissioner J.E. Andrews moved to approve the changes, saying the new map was the only item that kept the measure from passing during the last meeting held in September to work on the ordinance. Commissioner Ruby Hobbs provided the second.