Planning Commission approves Casa Park Homes expansion with condition change to community area

The Redding Planning Commission voted to approve a use permit allowing Casa Park Homes to expand an existing 47‑unit mobile home park by 24 units at 11037 Erickson Way.

Planning Manager Lily Toy said the 16.5‑acre site is zoned RM‑9 (residential multifamily, 9 units per acre) and is designated in the general plan for 6–10 units per acre. With the 24 additional units the project’s density would be about 7.6 units per acre. Toy said roughly 5.5 acres of the site are already developed with the existing 47 units and the proposed expansion would occupy a northwest portion of the parcel and include additional guest parking, an RV parking/storage area and a community area required by code.

The project packet includes a biological report and, Toy said, no special‑status species were identified that would require mitigation beyond standard seasonal restrictions and surveys for nesting bats or migratory birds. Toy said an emergency access road meeting fire standards is required because the park would exceed 50 total units; that access will connect, if executed, to a parcel owned by Hilltop Springs, a residential care facility to the west. Toy said the developer must secure an easement from Hilltop Springs before any building or grading permits are issued.

During the public hearing, nearby residents raised concerns about site grading and impacts to the south side of the property. Resident Noah Starksen said four of the proposed pads sit on the southerly slope immediately adjacent to neighboring backyards and that the plan shows a steep embankment or retaining wall that may require removal of oak trees and other vegetation. He said nocturnal bat activity he observes at his house suggests that bat surveys should address the southern portion of the site as well as the north.

Toy and staff responded that the biological review focused on the areas surveyed and that protections for bats and migratory birds are standard: tree removal or ground disturbance during nesting season would require surveys, possible buffers and, if warranted, delays in construction until after fledging or approved mitigation. Staff confirmed that standard conditions require surveys and that if bats or nesting birds are found, construction timing or methods must change to comply with state and federal guidelines.

Commissioners asked staff to clarify several details that were missing or unclear in the presentation: the four southern pads omitted from the initial slide, the proposed setback (a 15‑foot minimum was shown), where utilities would be extended and the location and scale of the proposed common area. Staff acknowledged an omission in the presentation and displayed the southern units on the plan. Staff said permanent utilities would be extended to the pads and that final grading and utility routing will be reviewed in the improvement plan process.

Commissioners also discussed Condition 18, which sets minimum standards for the required common outdoor activity area. Commissioners expressed concern that the draft language was too open‑ended and could result in a minimal concrete patio. Staff said the zoning code requires a minimum of 80 square feet for the common area and that the condition currently lists a range of possible amenities (play area, pool, community room, barbecue, shade elements, turf) and ends with owner discretion for final plans. Several commissioners asked staff to tighten the condition so the amenity is more substantial and better defined at plan review.

Vice Chair Willem (title used in meeting record) moved approval of the use permit with a single amendment: removal of the term "barbecue area" from Condition 18 so the community amenity requirement read in staff’s discretion but without that specific minimal barbecue‑only option. The motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. The approved motion requires that final plans satisfy the city’s grading, fire and public‑works standards and that the easement for emergency access be obtained before permits are issued.

Staff noted other site specifics and conditions: the project includes five RV storage spaces for unattended parking only (no hookups), the proposal will provide the off‑street parking required by code, and stormwater and drainage must be retained on site and not drain onto adjacent private properties or the pond that sits on a separate parcel. The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) retains jurisdiction over operational aspects of mobile home parks but not the land‑use entitlement, staff said.

The commission closed the public hearing after public comment and made findings that the project is consistent with the city’s general plan infill criteria. The motion as passed included the requirement to secure the access easement and to comply with all standard conditions of approval identified in the staff packet.