Chaffee officials consider easing regulations on modular, mobile homes within city limits

After considering the issue for several years, the Chaffee City Council will likely change its zoning regulations Monday night to allow modular homes in regular residential districts.

According to city regulations, modular and standard mobile homes are restricted. Those homes can only be placed in special mobile home parks in the city.

However, the planning and zoning committee has recommended the city council review those regulations and possibly allow modular homes in residential zones if they meet certain standards.

Mayor Bill Cannon, who sits on the planning and zoning committee, supports the idea. He said that modular homes and today's mobile homes differ from the mobile homes of the past.

"Now they make nice homes, and it's often hard to tell the difference from site- built homes," said Cannon.

Modular homes are built in sections in factories, then shipped to the home site, put on foundations and the sections are put together. The modular home industry and its supporters say those sections are similar in construction to homes built on-site.

Modular homes are different than mobile homes, which are fully constructed by the manufacturer and then delivered to the site.

Cannon said the ordinance will only allow homes built to BOCA code standards -- an international building code that regulates home quality. The homes will also have to be placed on foundations.

Chaffee instituted regulations on the zoning of mobile homes over a decade ago to protect homeowners' property values, said Cannon. Since that time the issue has been discussed often, as more high-quality manufactured homes became available.

Under current restrictions modular homes are placed in the same category as mobile homes.

The current discussion started when a family recently lost its home to a fire and wanted to install a modular home on the site.

Now, Cannon said, there seems to be little opposition to allowing the homes inside city limits.

Bobby Grojean, chair of the planning and zoning committee, said he hasn't heard any opposition to the proposal, either.

Councilman Mike Jobe said he also supports the change, and that some of the modular homes were built better than some site-built homes.

The public hearing will take place at 7 p.m. Monday at Chaffee City Hall.

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