§ 134-210. MHP mobile home park district.

(a)

Purpose and intent . The MHP district is established to provide locations for mobile home parks which eliminate or minimize certain conditions associated with mobile homes. The board of commissioners finds that it is necessary to restrict the location of mobile homes in order to: preserve land for low density, single family dwellings; protect property values; guard against increased crime; guard against traffic congestion; maintain aesthetics; regulate population density; prevent waste and sewage problems; regulate housing stock; and attempt to address concerns regarding wind vulnerability.

(b)

Standards. The regulations for the MHP mobile home park district are as follows:

(1)

Conditions of operation. Each mobile home park shall provide the following minimum facilities on the site for the common use of all trailer occupants:

a.

Drives. Paved drives at least 20 feet wide shall be provided to each trailer space and to laundry or other service buildings and recreation areas.

b.

Refuse collection facilities. One refuse collection station shall be provided for each 20 families or fraction thereof, not more than 200 feet from any trailer served, and shall be conveniently located for collection. If individual refuse containers are used on the trailer site, these containers must be submerged in the ground with only the top portion extending above the ground level. In lieu of a submerged unit, stands may be provided to hold the cans and screen the cans from conspicuous view.

c.

Underground utility lines. Utility lines shall be underground unless the plans approved by the planning commission indicate certain specific lines above the ground.

d.

Landscaping. Each mobile home park shall be landscaped with shade trees and exterior screen planting.

e.

Recreation area. At least ten percent of the gross land area shall be set aside for recreational use. No such area shall be less than one-half acre.

(2)

Improvements to trailers; patios.

a.

No permanent additions of any kind shall be built onto or become a part of any trailer unit.

b.

The owner of the mobile home park shall install a concrete patio at least four inches thick, with minimum dimensions of 20 feet by eight feet, within each trailer space.

(3)

Required lot area.

a.

No mobile home park shall be constructed or maintained on a lot or tract which has an average width of less than 400 feet or a total area of less than ten acres.

b.

Each trailer space shall be at least 50 feet in width and shall be a minimum of 4,000 square feet in area. In cul-de-sac or curved street design, the width of the trailer space shall be at least 50 feet at the location of the mobile home unit.

c.

Each trailer space shall be defined by a marker at each corner.

(4)

Yard requirements. No trailer shall be located within:

a.

Ten feet of its individual lot line.

b.

Forty feet from any exterior boundary of the mobile home park.

(5)

Buffer strip requirements. A buffer strip at least 25 feet wide shall be located adjacent to each exterior property line of the mobile home park and not be included within any individual trailer lot. This buffer strip shall be increased to a width of 50 feet when located adjacent to property zoned for single-family dwellings or duplexes. This strip shall be densely planted with evergreen shrubs and trees.

(6)

Off-street parking. A paved driveway, connecting to the interior drive, shall be provided on each trailer site, sufficient in length and width to serve as two off-street parking spaces.

(7)

Sewerage and water supply. Central sewage disposal facilities must be used and there shall be no individual septic tanks in areas zoned for the uses provided in this section, and public water supply shall be used and there shall be no private wells allowed under the uses in this zone.

(8)

Use limitations.

a.

It is found and declared that outside storage on properties within unincorporated Cobb County is a health risk and undesirable in that it provides harborage for rodents and insects, lowers property values, and constitutes a public nuisance; therefore, no outside storage is permitted, excluding firewood and lawn furnishings, unless otherwise allowed in this article.

b.

Required buffers may be included within required setbacks; however, in such case that the required buffer is greater than the required setback, the required buffer shall be adhered to. Additionally, necessary private utilities and access drives may be allowed through, over or across a landscaped buffer. Any such uses which are proposed through, over or across a designated undisturbed buffer must be approved pursuant to an original site plan or site plan modification as set forth under section 134-126.

c.

Livestock, nondomestic and wild animals, and poultry as defined in this chapter shall be prohibited.

(9)

Floodplain and wetlands preservation requirements. Any development must meet state and federal requirements relating to areas subject to the provisions of section 134-283, regarding mountain and river corridor protection act areas, and section 134-284, regarding metropolitan river protection act areas. No floodplains and/or wetlands may be used in calculating the overall density of the development.

(10)

Each mobile home must consist of one or more rooms which are arranged, designated or used as living quarters for one family (as defined in section 134-1), or two or fewer unrelated adults and their children and/or grandchildren.

(1)

A mobile home may be occupied only by a family related in the fourth degree as defined in O.C.G.A., or two or fewer unrelated adults and their children and/or grandchildren.

(2)

A mobile home shall have an interior bathroom and complete kitchen facilities, permanently installed.

(3)

A mobile home shall have at least 250 square feet of total square footage (as determined in the records maintained by the Cobb County Tax Assessor) per each adult occupant.

(4)

No more than one vehicle per 250 square feet of total square footage may be parked regularly overnight at or within the paved parking area as required in item (6). "Regularly" means a majority of nights in any seven-day period. Exceptions to this paragraph may be considered as part of a land use permit processed in accordance with section 134-36.

(Ord. of 12-26-72; Ord. of 12-10-74, § 10; Ord. of 12-11-90, § 3-28-7.18; Ord. of 7-11-95; Ord. of 2-27-96; Ord. of 7-27-04; Ord. of 2-26-08; Ord. of 7-14-09; Amd. of 2-25-14; Amd. of 2-24-15)