Kinston to reconsider law on relocating
old mobile homes
The Kinston City Council came up one vote short
Monday of approving a change to city regulations
that would allow a mobile home older than seven
years to be moved out of a flood hazard area
and placed on another lot within the city.
Four council members had to vote in favor of
the proposed amendment to the city's Unified
Development Ordinance to pass the amendment
on first reading. Council members Jimmy Cousins,
Alice Tingle and Robert A. Swinson IV voted
for the amendment, while Councilman Joe Tyson
voted against it. Councilman Van Braxton was
not present at the meeting.
Currently, mobile homes older than 7 years
cannot be moved anywhere within Kinston city
limits. The proposed amendment would allow older
mobile homes in the flood plain to be relocated
to another lot within the city under certain
conditions, Tommy Lee, Kinston's director of
planning and inspections told the council.
Conditions under which the older homes could
be moved include that the lot from which the
home is moved cannot be developed in the future,
or that the lot ownership is conveyed to the
city.
Lee said that the intent of the amendment is
to facilitate the purchase of some parcels within
the flood plain using grant money from the state's
Clean Water Trust Fund. He said he does not
believe the change in regulations would impact
more than 10 mobile homes.
"The way it is now," Lee said, "we
are forcing people to remain in the flood zone
because they can't afford to buy a new mobile
home."
But Tyson refused to support the amendment,
contending that over the years the city's policy
has been not to allow older mobile homes to
be moved within city limits.
'I'm totally against it," Tyson said.
"For years we have not allowed people to
do this.... In 1999 (after the floods) there
were a number of individuals that wanted to
move out of the flood area and we denied them
the opportunity. This is being done now just
for the convenience of the city."
Lee, however, said he has no knowledge of anyone
ever being denied the opportunity to relocate
out of the flood plain.
The ordinance will be considered again on a
second reading when the council meets for its
next regular meeting on Nov. 20.
