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Florence council reviews zoning text amendments to align with state law on manufactured homes
Summary
Council heard a staff presentation on Resolution R260002 to amend Boone County zoning text to define and regulate manufactured, qualified manufactured, and mobile homes, implementing House Bill 160 (KRS 100.348) effective July 1, 2026; staff outlined qualifying criteria and members discussed implications for zoning and lending.
Florence City Council reviewed Resolution R260002, a recommendation to the Boone County planning unit to amend zoning text to define and regulate manufactured, qualified manufactured, and mobile homes in order to comply with state law.
City staff member Mr. Morgan told the council that House Bill 160 was signed by the governor on April 1, 2025, was codified at Kentucky Revised Statute 100.348, and becomes effective July 1, 2026. "The big part of this is number four. It prohibits a local government from adopting or enforcing zoning regulations that treat qualified manufactured homes differently from single family homes," Mr. Morgan said. He outlined the proposed definition for a "qualified manufactured home": it must be manufactured no more than five years before installation; be permanently affixed to a foundation and connected to required facilities in compliance with KRS 227.570; be at least 20 feet wide at its smallest width measurement or be two stories with its main entrance facing the street; and have a minimum living area of 900 square feet.
Council members asked clarifying questions about how mobile, modular and qualified manufactured homes would be treated. Staff clarified that existing mobile-home rules (allowing mobile homes principally in A1 and mobile home park zones) would remain in place for older mobile homes, while a qualified manufactured home that meets all criteria would be permitted in the same zones that allow single-family dwellings. A council member who said she had reviewed the issue at the planning and zoning committee noted confusion about the definitions but emphasized the city must comply with state statute: "It's state statute. We're required to do this. We're not permitted to prohibit it," she said.
The presentation also noted technical distinctions relevant to lending: modular homes assembled on a permanent foundation generally meet conventional lending standards, while mobile homes retaining a VIN are treated differently. The council did not record a formal vote on Resolution R260002; the item was presented as a recommendation to be forwarded to the Boone County Fiscal Court and member cities in the Boone County planning unit for consideration by their legislative bodies.
