Commission recommends denial of manufactured‑home special exception after staff pattern analysis

The Spalding County Planning Commission recommended denial of a special exception to place a manufactured home on a five‑acre parcel on West Ellis Road (application 2505S). The decision followed staff analysis and public testimony from the applicant and property owner.

Applicant Cody Jones spoke in support, saying site‑built construction was unaffordable for his family and that he needed an accessible option to house his large household; co‑owner Ralph Storm said the family had held the property for decades and intended to divide it among heirs. Jones described contractors’ quotes for stick‑built homes that he said were unaffordable and said the manufactured home he sought cost about $200,000. He also contended there were already nine manufactured homes within a half mile of his dwelling.

Staff presented a prepared mobile‑home report that counted 54 stick‑built houses, 9 mobile home lots and 17 vacant lots within a half‑mile radius (63 occupied homes total), meaning mobile home lots represented about 14% of the local housing stock. Staff said that composition did not support a change in trend toward manufactured housing for that neighborhood and recommended denial.

Commission discussion emphasized the code standard that a special exception for a manufactured home should be consistent with the prevailing trend. Several commissioners said they were sympathetic to affordable‑housing pressures but believed granting the exception would undermine the area’s prevailing pattern of site‑built homes. A motion to deny the application passed; one commissioner expressed concern about small stick‑built houses that do not meet higher architectural standards and urged better enforcement of those standards countywide.

The planning commission noted the Board of Commissioners will make the final decision on May 22; the commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the board.