HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-18-25 Public Comment - M. Fitz - Comments regarding MH zoning and the upcoming UDCFrom:michael.fitz92@aol.com
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comments regarding MH zoning and the upcoming UDC
Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 1:06:08 PM
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Hello Bozeman,
I am writing regarding the upcoming UDC. I am actually a planner for Routt
County, Colorado, but I have ties to Bozeman and am writing in my capacity
as a private citizen. My comments are specific to Manufactured Homes.
Regarding the new zone districts, I looked at the updated zoning map and I
am extremely surprised to see that existing parks, which are currently zoned
incorrectly, are proposed to be continued to be zoned incorrectly under the
new code/map. Preservation of manufactured home parks is extremely
important, as mobile homes are Bozeman’s only truly plentiful source of
Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). It is very concerning that
existing, legally nonconforming parks would be put into a new zone which
still does not afford them the protection of proper zoning.
Secondly, I looked at the R-MH standards. I would wholeheartedly suggest
taking a look at Routt County’s standards. Mobile home parks are unique
because there is an overall lot/parcel (for the park), and then individual “lots”
for each mobile home. Bozeman’s proposed standards split the district into
“Site Standards” and “Building Standards”, and I don’t think they quite get at
what they need to do. For example:
It’s unclear what the minimum size is for an individual home lot (or if
there is one).
The building height (3 story max) is extremely tall and inappropriate
in a mobile home park
The minimum ground story height of 9’ effectively bans most mobile
homes
Transparency requirements (windows) is extremely unusual for a
mobile home park, and once again, will likely ban most mobile
homes
There do not seem to be building spacing requirements (necessary
for a park) or a requirement that individual lots in newly-created
parks are designated with defined boundaries (a common problem
with older parks)
Lastly – I strongly support allowing manufactured housing in all zone
districts where conventional single-family construction is allowed. Modern
manufactured housing is equivalent in safety and, in most ways,
construction as a conventional single-family home. The HUD code has been
refined along with the IRC for 5 decades at this point. If housing affordability
is a concern, it makes no logical sense to prohibit single-family lots to have
individual HUD-code homes, and it could be seen as discriminatory.
Understandably this can be hard to convey in an email, but I would be
ecstatic to speak to someone in-person if it would be useful. I’ve become
somewhat of an advocate after purchasing a 1965 single-wide home in
Colorado, and a city as big as Bozeman deserves to have the best code
possible to handle manufactured homes. Thank you very kindly for your
consideration and I welcome any continued conversation your planners may
wish to engage with me.
Sincerely,
-Michael Fitz
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
(Private citizen)