Working group backs clustered housing and modern manufactured-home options in growth areas to broaden housing mix

Powhatan County's Citizen Working Group recommended that the county include clustered housing and updated manufactured-home-park options as part of housing strategies in designated growth areas, including village and economic-opportunity future-land-use designations. Speaker 2 presented examples of cottage courts and cluster developments and said many modern manufactured and factory-built homes are higher quality than older models.

Members discussed the existing A-10 code provision that allows manufactured-home parks by conditional-use permit, noting density limits in the ordinance (committee members cited limits such as "8 units per gross acre or 6 units per net acre" and a minimum unit footprint of 4,500 square feet in code text read during the meeting). Some members argued that converting or clarifying the existing CUP allowance into a by-right pattern-book-linked option within service districts could make quality cluster housing more feasible while preserving public review for outlying areas.

The committee voted to recommend that clustered housing be incorporated into designated growth areas (village and economic opportunity) with design controls to ensure high-quality appearance and infrastructure. Members emphasized these options should be prioritized in locations with existing water and sewer service so projects are feasible without extraordinary capital expansion.

Why it matters: the recommendation would create a pathway to deliver smaller, potentially more affordable housing types in parts of the county where services can support higher density. Members emphasized architectural standards or a pattern book and suggested conditional use or master-plan approaches to retain oversight.

What happens next: the recommendation will be included in the draft report and the planning commission will consider whether to adjust zoning and development standards to reflect the working group's intent.