§ 6.070. Mobile homes on individual lots.

Mobile homes on separate, individual lots are permitted in zoning districts R-1, R-2, and R-3 subject to the requirements of this section.

6.071 On separate lot. Only one (1) mobile home shall be located on each individual lot, parcel, or tract except in an approved mobile home park. No mobile home shall be located permanently on any plot, parcel, or tract of land occupied by any other permanent dwelling or occupied building.

6.072 Compliance with district zoning. Mobile homes on individual lots shall fully comply with zoning requirements for lot size, setbacks, and other restrictions for permanent single-family residential dwellings as well as the requirements of these regulations.

6.073 Minimum site improvements. Mobile homes on separate, individual lots shall be provided with the following improvements to the mobile home and lot:

a.

The chassis of each mobile home shall be supported on piers or load-bearing supports or devices. These shall be designed and constructed to evenly distribute the loads. Piers shall be securely attached to the frame of the mobile home or shall extend at least six (6) inches from the centerline of the frame member. Manufactured load-bearing supports or devices shall be listed or approved for the use intended, or piers shall be constructed as follows:

(1)

Piers less than forty (40) inches in height shall be constructed of open or closed cell, eight-inch by eight-inch by sixteen-inch concrete blocks (with open cells vertically placed upon the footer). Single-stacked block piers shall be installed with the sixteen-inch dimension perpendicular to the main (I-beam) frame. The piers shall be covered with a two-inch by eight-inch by sixteen-inch wood or concrete cap.

(2)

Piers between forty (40) and eighty (80) inches in height and all corner piers over three (3) blocks high shall be double blocked with blocks interlocked and capped with a four-inch by sixteen-inch by sixteen-inch solid concrete block, or equivalent.

(3)

Piers over eighty (80) inches in height shall be constructed in accordance with paragraph 2 above and they shall be laid in concrete mortar and steel reinforcing bars inserted in block cells with the block cells filled with concrete.

(4)

All piers shall be placed on footings of solid concrete not less than sixteen (16) inches by sixteen (16) inches by four (4) inches.

b.

The base of the mobile home shall be fully skirted to screen the mobile home supports or wheels from view. Acceptable skirting shall be only those types and materials designed by the manufacturer expressly for such use or as required by the zoning administrator.

c.

Each mobile home shall be served by an acceptable water supply and method of sewage disposal subject to the written approval of the county health officer having jurisdiction over such matters.

d.

Each mobile home shall have an individual connection to public electrical power.

e.

Each mobile home lot shall have a patio located convenient to the entrance of the mobile home. Said patio shall measure not less than eight (8) feet by twelve (12) feet.

f.

Each mobile home lot shall be provided with two (2), thirty-gallon covered refuse containers. Refuse shall be stored only in these containers and collected and disposed of regularly in an approved disposal facility.

g.

Each mobile home lot shall contain at least two (2) off-street parking spaces.

h.

Any accessory structures or additions to the mobile home or lot shall be of similar design and material as the mobile home unit, and shall not be used as complete, independent housing units with permanent provisions for sleeping, cooking, and sanitation.

Anyone seeking to establish a mobile [home] within any residential or commercial district or mobile home park, planned unit development or anywhere else within the City of Grovetown must apply for a permit prior to erection of said home.

The application for the permit shall state the year, make and model of the mobile home and the owner shall furnish a copy of the bill of sale and or title for the mobile home.

The city shall only grant permits for mobile homes in areas that are zoned R-1. No permits for mobile homes shall be granted in any other residential districts. Nor shall they be granted in a planned stick built subdivision even if the subdivision has an R-1 zoning.

No permits shall be given for a mobile home in the three (3) major corridors in the city that are defined by the comprehensive plan and was adopted by city council on February 12^th, 2007. They are as follows: Robinson Avenue, Katherine Street and Wrightsboro Road. Mobile homes in this section will be prohibited and not replaced once they are removed.

In the event a mobile home is removed from a parcel of property within the city, the owner of the parcel of property shall have six (6) months to replace the structure. The owner can request from the director of planning and zoning a one (1) time sixty-day extension if the owner can show that there is action being taken to replace the mobile home and that it can be completed within the sixty- day extension. In the event the structure is not replaced within six (6) months and there has been a one (1) time sixty-day extension given, the property owner shall not be permitted to replace the structure. Additionally, the new structure shall conform to all existing zoning codes at the time of the application for the new permit including the requirements that the structure be ten (10) years or less in age.

The city shall not grant any further conditional uses to establish mobile home parks. Mobile home parks in existence may continue to operate under prior existing ordinances.

APPEALS:

(a)

Any person aggrieved by a decision of the director of the planning and zoning department to the granting or denial of a permit for the establishment of a mobile home or for any other terms of this ordinance, may appeal such decision by filing a written notice of appeal with the director of the planning and zoning department within ten (10) working days of the issuance of such decision by the director.

(b)

After receiving the written notice of appeal, the director may then reverse his/her decision or send the notice of appeal to the board of appeals. A notice of appeal shall state the specific reasons why the decision of the director is alleged to be in error and the director shall, within twenty (20) working days of the receipt of the notice of appeal, prepare and send to the board of appeals and appellant a written response to such notice of appeal.

(c)

All appeals shall be heard by the board of appeals. The hearing shall be held within sixty (60) days after receipt of the notice of appeal or a date mutually agreed upon in writing by the appellant and the board of appeals.

(d)

If either the appellant or director is dissatisfied with the board of appeals decision, the aggrieved party may appeal such decision to the Columbia County Superior Court within thirty (30) days of the board of appeals decision.

(e)

In the event the director fails to send to the board of appeals a written response to the request for an appeal within twenty (20) working days of the receipt of the request or the board of appeals fails to hear the appeal, the permit shall be deemed granted unless a good cause is shown for extending the time limits in order to prevent a manifest injustice.

Manufactured housing includes all mobile homes or trailers that precede or meet the current definition of manufactured housing as defined by the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5401-5445).

A.

Procedure for inspection of mobile homes.

1.

Definitions.

a.

Applicant: the individual requesting permission from the City of Grovetown to move a mobile home.

2.

Whenever an applicant seeks to move a mobile home into the City of Grovetown, GA or seeks to move a mobile home currently located within the City of Grovetown, GA from one location to another within the City of Grovetown (whether on the same parcel of property or on another parcel of property), the applicant and the director of the planning and zoning department shall follow all procedures listed in all city ordinances, Ordinance No. 198, all applicable state laws, and the following procedures:

3.

Prior to applying for a permit to locate a mobile home within the City of Grovetown, GA, the applicant shall post a bond with the city in the form of cash or from an approved bonding company / surety in an amount of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00). Said bond amount may be amended from time to time by the director of planning and zoning department upon providing the city council one hundred twenty (120) days notice. Said bond shall be returned to the surety upon the mobile passing all inspections for habitability, having all proper permits, obtaining a certificate of occupancy, and tax stickers mandated by this ordinance or any other ordinance and all state laws. In the event a mobile fails the inspection or fails to obtain all necessary permits, fails to secure a certificate of occupancy, or fails to obtain the appropriate tax sticker, the applicant shall be given sixty (60) days to remove the mobile home. Upon the mobile home being removed and the property cleaned up by the applicant, the bond shall be returned to the surety. In the event the mobile is not removed or the property is not properly cleaned up within sixty (60) days, the bond posted shall be forfeited and used to fund the removal of the mobile home from the property and any necessary costs associated with cleaning up the property. Any funds remaining after the removal of the mobile home shall be returned to the applicant or other individual who posted the bond. In the event there are not sufficient funds to cover the costs of the removal and clean up, the applicant shall be responsible for any deficiency. In the event an applicant does not own the property upon which the mobile is to be located, the property owner must give express written consent to the City of Grovetown to allow for the removal of the mobile home and an acknowledgment of liability in the event the bond is insufficient to cover the costs for the removal of the mobile home and clean up.

4.

After applying for and receiving a permit to locate a mobile home within the City of Grovetown, GA, and the applicant shall have all utilities connected for a limited period not to exceed sixty (60) days in order for the mobile to be inspected for habitability. During the inspection period of time, the mobile home shall not be occupied. Only upon the passing of the final inspection and the granting of a certificate of occupancy may a home be occupied. All applicants shall sign an affidavit indicating that they understand that the applicant may only occupy a mobile that has passed final inspection, been issued a certificate of occupancy and that, in the event the mobile home fails to pass inspection, all utilities and any city services connected for the purpose of the inspection shall be disconnected upon the expiration of the sixty-day inspection / installation period.

5.

The director of planning and zoning shall develop a list of standards to determine whether a structure is habitable. Said list shall be made available for public inspection by August 31, 2010 and may be amended from time to time as necessary. The director of planning and zoning shall maintain a list of individuals approved to perform inspections for habitability. All inspectors shall have a valid business license, shall be certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) or an equivalent national certification agency, and attest under oath that he or she has no financial interest in the outcome of the inspection. Upon completion of the inspection, the inspector shall indicate on the inspection form whether the structure passed or failed each item inspected, sign and date the form and file the form with the department of planning and zoning.

6.

In the event the inspector notes any areas that fail the inspection, the applicant shall have up to sixty (60) days to take any steps necessary to make the structure habitable. All repair work shall be performed by contractors that are properly licensed and bonded. Said contractors shall obtain permits where necessary. The city shall have the right to refuse to accept any work performed by any individual that is not properly licensed and bonded nor where a contractor fails to obtain a proper permit.

7.

The city shall not grant a certificate of occupancy unless and until the mobile passes the habitability inspection and is in compliance with all existing ordinances and state laws.

8.

In the event the mobile home fails the final inspection or is not granted a certificate of occupancy, the city shall disconnect all utilities / services provided by the city upon the expiration of the 60-day inspection / installation period.

9.

All costs and fees for the inspection, permits, bonds, and repairs to mobile home shall be the sole responsibility of the applicant or the mobile homeowner. The city shall not bear any of these costs.

10.

Upon the final inspection being completed, the director of the planning and zoning department shall have thirty (30) days to approve or deny the request for the mobile permit. In the event the director of the planning and zoning department fails to approve or deny the application for the mobile permit within the specified time frame, the application shall be deemed to be approved and the permit shall be granted.

B.

Mobile home installers. The City of Grovetown shall only allow licensed mobile home installers to install mobile homes within the City of Grovetown. Any mobile home installer seeking to install a mobile home shall provide a copy of their state license and proof of a business license, general liability insurance for at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and bond, if applicable. The mobile installer shall also furnish a list of all employees that will work on the installation project and provide proof of worker's compensation insurance, if the mobile home installer employs more than two (2) individuals.

C.

Tax stickers. All mobile homes located in the City of Grovetown shall maintain a current tax sticker which shall be posted in such a manner as to be clearly visible from the nearest roadway or the driveway. Any mobile home that is sixty (60) days or more delinquent in posting the tax sticker shall be deemed to be an abandoned structures and subject to removal, as per existing ordinances governing mobile homes and nuisances.

D.

Additional requirements for all mobile homes. Beginning on September 1, 2010, whenever a property owner or other individual seeks to move a mobile home into the City of Grovetown, Georgia or seeks to move a mobile home currently located within the City of Grovetown, Georgia from one location to another within the City of Grovetown (whether on the same parcel of property or on another parcel of property), the mobile home shall be underpinned with cement or masonry underpinnings.

E.

Appeals.

1.

In the event the application for the mobile home permit is denied by the director of the planning and zoning department or the applicant refuses to meet the conditions/recommendations of the planning and zoning department, the applicant shall have thirty (30) days to request a hearing before the city council.

2.

In the event the city council grants the mobile home permit following the denial of the permit by the director of the planning and zoning department, then the permit shall be issued by the city council, signed off by each council member voting in the affirmative, and the director of the planning and zoning department shall absolved of any liability with respect to the issuing of the permit. further, the director of the planning and zoning department shall not be required to sign off on the permit.

3.

In the event the city council denies the application for the permit, then the applicant shall have thirty (30) days to appeal said decision to the Superior Court of Columbia County, Georgia.

(Ord. No. 198, 4-27-09; Ord. No. 207, § II, 8-9-10)