Council rejects urgency ordinance that would have required sprinklers in newly constructed or relocated mobile homes

The City Council on Monday voted down an urgency ordinance that would have required fire sprinklers in newly constructed and relocated mobile and manufactured homes, and required ignition‑resistant construction materials in high fire severity zones. The measure needed a four‑fifths majority to take immediate effect and failed on a 3–2 vote.

City Attorney Stephen Graham told the council the urgency ordinance (No. 464U) was proposed to lock in local requirements before recent state legislation (AB 306 language incorporated into the state budget bill) imposed a multi‑year restriction on local building‑code changes affecting residential construction. Staff said the change was prompted by wildfire risk and recent mobile‑home fires elsewhere.

Under the proposed urgency language staff brought to the council, the requirement for sprinklers would have applied citywide to newly constructed or relocated mobile/manufactured homes; the ignition‑resistant‑materials requirement would have applied to units in mapped high fire severity zones. The original draft had also included triggers tied to remodeling; staff removed the remodel trigger after public feedback so the proposal would not require sprinkler retrofits for ordinary repairs or minor remodels.

Council debate focused on the technical and practical implications. Councilmember Woolsey, who identified herself as a mobile‑home resident, expressed concerns about water‑system pressure, the cost of sprinklers, and potential pipe failures in older park infrastructure; she pressed staff about whether the requirement would apply citywide or only in high‑severity zones. Staff said the sprinkler requirement would have applied citywide, while the ignition‑resistant‑materials rule would have been limited to high fire severity zones; staff also said pressure regulators are a typical engineering solution but deferred to the water district and fire officials for technical implementation.

Local mobile‑home residents and the chair of the Yucaipa Mobile Home Residents Association testified in public comment. Mark Westwood, representing mobile‑home residents, said mobile homes are not intrinsically more flammable than stick‑built homes and cautioned that the cost and infrastructure work needed for sprinklers can be a heavy burden on parks and residents. Other speakers urged action to improve safety; the council heard multiple perspectives.

When councilmembers voted on the urgency ordinance, the tally was: Bieber — yes; Miller — yes; Woolsey — no; Venable — no; Thorpe — yes. The measure therefore failed to meet the four‑fifths threshold required for an urgency ordinance to take effect immediately.

Councilmembers and staff noted the change could be revisited in a non‑urgent (regular) ordinance later; staff also said amendments that reduce standards could be adopted even while the state moratorium is in effect. The council did not adopt an immediate requirement tonight, leaving the city’s existing code unchanged pending any future action.