Conditional variance requests to put mobile homes in areas where zoning doesn’t allow it are creating a juggling act for Hammond leaders as they try to accommodate landowners and comply with zoning regulations.
Two more requests to place mobile homes in non-compliant areas were presented last Tuesday night during a council meeting and were met with mixed results. One was granted, the other denied.
Normally, the council was favorable to grant most of these types of requests.
The requests were only the most recent ones that continue to appear on the agendas of the council and of Planning and Zoning, a fact that was not lost on the members of the council.
“I think we need to take a look at it,” Councilman Sam DiVittorio said. “We have to figure out (a solution). Most planning and zoning issues are about mobile homes and variances and variances and variances. At this point, it’s just going to be mobile homes everywhere. It’s important to control.”
Councilman Steven Leon said the city needs to codify its view on granting such variances.
“If the zoning is in place, we have to follow that,” he said.
Hammond residents Hayven LaFrance and Eric Long had requested separate variances to place mobile homes on their respective properties. LaFrance’s request to place a mobile home at 3605 Delia Road drew strong opposition from residents of the nearby Woodridge subdivision.
Planning Director Lacy Landrum said the property is zoned for family use and is surrounded by several vacant lots. It is also close to some wooded areas.
One Hammond resident, who opposed the variance, expressed concern that the approval could lay the groundwork for justification for new mobile homes throughout the city, fearing the establishment of a “trailer park” in Hammond.
The council also heard a petition from Eric Long to place a trailer on his lot at 1400 Apple St. for his daughter
“I’m just trying to get a home for my kids to start,” Long said. “What harm will it bring?”
Landrum explained to council members that the lot has been cleared for construction. She said single-family homes are on two sides of the proposed site. A vacant lot is also near one side of the property.
The lot is adjacent to a proposed site for future mobile homes. He added that there are three other mobile homes in that area where the council has approved variances.
Council President Kip Andrews said the site is in his district and he was not aware of any opposition.
LaFrance’s request was denied but Long’s was approved, potentially adding to the confusion surrounding an increasingly thorny issue for the council.
“If we continue to deviate, there will be no need to have zoning (regulation),” DiVittorio said. “We have to look at where we want to go as a city. It’s nothing personal. If everyone is fine with mobile homes going all over town, go for it. It’s not my call.”
Councilwoman Carlee Gonzales said many mobile homes are scattered throughout Hammond and some are in disrepair. He added that some of them are not even sure.
“If we keep giving (expanded conditional uses) and putting in new mobile homes, we’re continuing the cycle,” he said. “Something has to be done.”
Landrum said affordability is becoming more difficult due to the rising cost of housing and higher mortgage rates.
“We will continue to see (variance requests),” he said. “There was a conversation with the city attorney about the things that need to be looked at and also about meeting our fair housing rules and making sure that we have a proper city. We’re trying to get you to understand what the dynamic is.”
Two additional mobile home requests are on the agenda for the Dec. 27 meeting.
