Santa Monica’s Planning Commission gave a unanimous nod to the improvements and upgrades proposed by the City’s Housing Division for the City-owned Mountain View Mobile Home Park located at 1930 Stewart St.
According to the City staff report, “The mobile home park, which was originally developed in the late 1940s or early 1950s, is currently occupied with 86 units, eight of which are unoccupied. Although the maximum approved capacity of the park is 141 units, the Housing Division is proposing an occupancy that will not exceed 105 units. Rent Control Board records also indicate 105 controlled units on-site.”
The Housing Division’s Ron Barefield told the Commission of the 80 occupied units, 59 units are homeowners (they own the home but rent the park space) and 21 units are occupied by those who rent both their home and space. In addition, 70 percent of the residents are low-income.
The project described in the staff report is a “partial reconfiguration and establishment of lot lines for individual pads within the existing mobile home park; the installation of eight mobile home units on existing, re-configured lots; and the repair and replacement of on-site infrastructure and utilities” plus the addition of a fire safety road for public safety vehicles.
Barefield emphasized the need for the new fire safety road, stating, “Mobile homes can burn down in six minutes.” He also mentioned that the City’s goal when making the changes will be to maintain most of the park as is, and pay to relocate the 38 homes that have to be moved to accommodate the new park streets.
A number of the park’s residents addressed the Commission with their concerns about the proposed plan. Phyllis Goff objected to the City adding eight mobile home units by stating, “I think this is a misuse of affordable housing money. New mobile homes should be something that a resident purchases with a home loan so they can be owners. She also objected to “making lot sizes smaller.”
Carl Keyster is concerned that when his mobile home is moved according to the plan he would lose the shed that is currently part of his mobile home area because his new space wouldn’t be comparable.
Randi Wallberger had a different point of view, and thanked the Housing Division for trying to keep the park “alive and healthy.” He has obtained 43 signatures from the mobile park residents on a petition in support of the upgrades. “This is truly a poor person’s paradise,” said Wallberger.
