Board grants owners one‑year exception to replace two mobile homes at 4171 East Broadway

The Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment granted a Type‑2 zoning exception on Thursday to the owners of the 4171 East Broadway mobile‑home park, allowing them one year to replace two mobile homes on Lots 6 and 30 that staff concluded had lost nonconforming replacement rights after a discontinuance of more than one year.

Frank Dunn, planning staff, told the board the park contains about 32 lots and that city code permits resumption of use after temporary discontinuance only in limited circumstances. Chris Halsgaard, zoning enforcement officer, said the park had been the subject of vacancy and nuisance monitoring and that staff typically recommends a two‑year window but would support a one‑year extension in this case. "We found out that the deadline had expired or the year had expired," Halsgaard said.

Owners Steve Driss and Matt Danayev said two tenant‑owned units were destroyed by their occupants in late 2024, the property was cleaned up and they had been working with city staff to source replacement homes. Steve Driss said the owners had been in regular contact with staff and were actively searching for units that fit their park's small footprints.

Neighbors and supporters at the hearing, and a neighborhood meeting summary submitted by the applicant, indicated local interest in preserving affordable housing on the site; one resident suggested exploring tiny homes as an alternative.

After discussing timing and enforcement history, a board member moved to grant the exception with conditions mirroring staff recommendations and set the resumption deadline at one year from the board’s decision (approximately April 2027). The motion carried with six votes in favor and one abstention. Staff will draft a decision and order specifying that replacement units must meet applicable site, building and fire codes.