Planning commission recommends SPUD overlay to allow manufactured home at 1218 N. 12th St.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission voted Sept. 25 to recommend that the mayor and board of commissioners approve an ordinance to rezone 1218 North Twelfth Street to R-4 (residential duplex/ two-family) with a Simplified Planned Unit Development (SPUD) overlay to allow placement of a residential manufactured home.

City planner Joshua, presenting the application at the commission’s special meeting, described the SPUD as “a request for infill in places that already have existing streets and utilities” and said the overlay is intended to encourage residential manufactured homes as one tool to meet the city’s housing needs. Joshua told commissioners the applicant’s submission demonstrates the dwelling would meet the SPUD standards, including size and design elements the code requires.

The application proposes a three-bedroom, two-bath manufactured home of about 1,800 square feet on the property, with a concrete foundation, paved driveway, front porch with concrete steps, brick skirting and asphalt shingles. Joshua reviewed the SPUD’s required design elements that apply to manufactured homes: a minimum unit width of 24 feet, a gable roof, a front porch or covered entry, permanent concrete or stone steps (ADA-compliant where ramps are installed), and building envelope standards intended to harmonize with surrounding houses.

During the public hearing the planning staff said no written objections had been received and no members of the public signed up to speak. An applicant representative who identified his affiliation with Jessup (a manufacturer/retailer) answered commissioners’ questions about manufacture and placement logistics, noting the proposed unit will be transported from Waco, Texas, and that Jessup homes in the region are built to HUD code. The applicant said warranties are generally one year for the home and separate manufacturer warranties apply for appliances and systems.

Commissioners asked whether the four determinations required for approving a SPUD were satisfied — consistency with the comprehensive plan, harmony with surrounding development, a unified treatment of the site, and conformity with the standards of the article — and Joshua told the commission staff believes the submittal meets those tests. One commissioner moved to recommend approval and to state on the record that the four determinations had been met; another commissioner seconded. The motion carried, and the commission directed staff to forward the recommendation to the mayor and board of commissioners for final action.

The record shows the property’s ownership changed during the application process: the application lists Josue Abel Gonzales Chavez and Karen Rosales as the current owners; city staff noted Alfredo Padilla was the original owner on earlier paperwork. The SPUD filing and the staff presentation included an aerial and street-level photos of the block around Twelfth and Birch to support the commission’s review of compatibility and aesthetics.

If the mayor and board of commissioners approve the ordinance, the applicant will still be required to obtain building permits and meet applicable building-code standards at the time of placement. The commission noted those permits and inspections are standard prerequisites and remain subject to city building codes.

The mayor and board of commissioners will consider the ordinance in a future meeting; the planning commission’s action on Sept. 25 was a recommendation only.