Planning and Zoning Commission approves PDD to legalize manufactured-home park at 12707 Murphy Road

The Stafford Planning and Zoning Commission voted on March 10 to approve an ordinance amending Chapter 102 of the city code to grant a Planned Development District (PDD) for the manufactured-home park at 12707 Murphy Road.

City planner Sylvia Bolivar told the commission the roughly 9.536-acre site is currently a nonconforming manufactured-home park under the Primary Corridor (PC) zoning and that approval of a PDD would allow the city to set updated development standards and permit improvements while removing the nonconforming designation. "The request proposes rezoning the property located at 12707 Murphy Road from Primary Corridor, PC, to a planned development district, PDD," Bolivar said during the staff presentation.

Applicant attorney Justin Prewitt of Wilson Cribbs and Goran said the change is intended to make the property marketable and to enable safety and infrastructure upgrades. "What we are doing is to try to not only to remove the nonconform status, but to satisfy the code in every way," he said, adding the PDD would allow improvements to proceed through the normal permitting process. Prewitt listed typical improvements the buyer or owner would pursue, such as repaving the internal ring road, adding fire-loop infrastructure, and improving landscaping and buffering.

Commissioners asked for clarification about ownership of individual homes and the nature of proposed improvements; Prewitt answered that the individual homes are owned by residents and that the current owner maintains an on-site responsible party. After discussion, Commissioner Aldrin George moved to approve the ordinance; another commissioner seconded. The chair called for votes and announced, "The motion carries." The transcript does not include a roll-call tally.

The ordinance cites section 102-82.2 of the zoning ordinance and staff recommended approval. The commission’s action makes manufactured-home parks a permitted use on the site within a PDD and removes the site’s nonconforming status, which the applicant said will support reinvestment and compliance with applicable HUD and state standards.

Next steps: the commission’s approval is a recommendation to the City Council (as typical in a zoning process) and formal adoption of the amending ordinance and any specific PDD conditions will be finalized through that legislative step (not recorded in this transcript).