LAGUNA BEACH : Planners Endorse Mobile-Home Law

The Laguna Beach Planning Commission has endorsed a proposed relocation ordinance to protect mobile-home owners who would be forced to move if a trailer park closes.

The ordinance, which must be approved by the City Council, would require that landowners who convert mobile-home parks to other uses either buy the homes or pay to relocate residents to a coastal park within 20 miles. An earlier provision, which would have required homeowners to be moved to another park within the city, was deleted because it was too restrictive, senior planner Ann Larson said.

The 3-1 vote was taken Wednesday night, with Commissioner Wayne Peterson dissenting. One commission seat is vacant. If approved by the City Council, the ordinance would set in place one of the state’s most comprehensive relocation-protection packages for mobile-home owners, city officials said.

The ordinance requires basing the value of a mobile home on its current setting, a bonus for owners of homes in ocean-front parks. It also requires that landowners who close trailer parks provide “affordable units” within the city to offset the impact of a park closure on affordable housing.

An attorney for the owners of Treasure Island, the city’s largest park, has objected strenuously to the ordinance and said City Council approval would trigger a lawsuit.

The City Council will consider the proposed law on Jan. 8.