Owner told to submit site plan as sewer easement questions delay proposed modular home

A property owner seeking to place a manufactured module on a second lot informed the Planning and Zoning Commission that an existing sewer line crosses the parcel under consideration. The owner asked whether a utility easement could be used instead of splitting the lot; staff said any easement arrangement would be a private agreement with the utility or title company and could be costly to record.

Commissioners reviewed the parcel map and confirmed that the sewer line traverses the proposed build area; staff had researched historical records and said they found no recorded easement for the sewer line back to 1930. The commission advised the owner to obtain a site plan from the modular manufacturer showing the proposed building footprint and the locations of culinary water, sewer, gas and electrical hookups so the city and the special service district can assess connections.

Staff noted setbacks and minimum widths for manufactured homes: the city’s minimum width requirement for a modular/manufactured dwelling was cited as 25 feet, and standard setbacks (30-foot rear offset discussed) will apply. Commissioners said that if the owner later wishes to subdivide the parcel, a boundary survey and possible easement recordation will be required; those steps can be more expensive than a single easement recording.

The commission did not approve a subdivision or building permit at the meeting. Staff asked the owner to submit a revised site plan showing utilities and exact distances to roads and lot lines; staff said they would help coordinate with the special service district and with the modular manufacturer.