Everett staff propose zoning to protect seven manufactured housing communities from wholesale conversion

Planning staff told the Parks and Built Environment Committee on Feb. 11 that they are developing code amendments intended to protect several of Everett's manufactured housing communities from wholesale conversion to other uses.

Planning Director York Stevens Wazda and Long Range Planning Manager Lisonbee Wetzler said the work follows resident concern about displacement after outside owners purchased some parks. Staff recommended establishing a manufactured housing zone for seven of about 10 communities (the seven were selected after review of about a dozen criteria), which would limit permitted uses on those parcels to manufactured housing communities and thereby make conversion to townhouses, single-family homes or commercial uses more difficult.

Staff emphasized that the proposed zoning would not prevent rents from rising within the bounds of state rules; they cited a state cap they described as limiting increases to 5 percent for manufactured housing communities. The proposal targets communities where residents own homes but rent the underlying land—an ownership model staff said creates particular displacement vulnerability.

Staff described broad outreach to residents, owners and managers and said owners contacted to date generally expressed interest in continuing to operate the communities. The package is in final review and staff said it is penciled in for a planning commission recommendation on March 17, after which it will go to council. Staff said they do not know of an imminent sale that would create immediate displacement and expressed confidence the process will reach completion before potential displacement events.