PRESCOTT - The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors Monday unanimously approved a zoning amendment to the county's light-pollution ordinance, but split 2-1 on another zoning amendment that lets property owners use park model trailers as a primary home in residential neighborhoods.
District 3 Supervisor Chip Davis voted against the amendment. He said it is unfair to taxpayers and the county's finances that park models are not taxable as real property in the same way that site-built homes are. Supervisors Tom Thurman and Carol Springer referred to the park model trailers as "affordable housing."
"Affordable housing translates to the rest of the taxpayers footing the bill for them," Davis said.
Park models aren't subject to taxes as personal property unless they are permanently "fixed" to the ground, explained Land Use Manager Steve Mauk. "They are not taxed as real property on the county's tax roll," he said.
Owners could apply for an "affidavit of fixture," which would change a trailer's status to real property and get taxed accordingly, Thurman said.
Current county ordinances allow park trailers in Planned Area Developments, mobile home parks and in residential areas for a secondary medical dwelling. The amendment excludes RVs, travel and fifth-wheel trailers and campers.
Park model trailers measure from 320 square feet to no larger than 400 square feet. They are built on a single chassis, mounted on wheels and designed to connect to utilities. Residents in the park trailers would be limited to single families and one roommate or boarder.
The zoning amendment the board approved would allow park trailers in R1 (residential) zoned areas and C2 (medium construction) zoned areas. Trailers cannot be older than 5 years and must be connected to an approved sewage system.
Sharon Brooks, who attended the meeting in Cottonwood via teleconference, spoke against the amendment.
"Park models are correctly named - they belong in parks," she said.
In a separate action, the board approved Mauk's request to amend the county's light-pollution zoning ordinance, referred to as the dark sky ordinance, to include certain types of lights in residential-zoned areas that officials accidentally excluded from the current ordinance. The amendment does not apply to commercially zoned areas.
The amendment lifts restrictions on street lights that are fully shielded; holiday lighting and landscape lighting that use bulbs rated 4 watts or less; motion sensor lights that are shielded and do not shine into neighboring yards; and flagpole lights aimed from the top down for a U.S. flag or Arizona State flag, POW/MIA and military flags.
"I fully support the amendment if pre-existing up-lighted flagpole lights are grandfathered in," Verde Valley resident Steve Sprinz said.
Mauk told the board that residents that installed lights shining from the ground up before the 2001 ordinance went into effect are exempt, or grandfathered, into compliance.
John Carter, who said he is an astronomer, did not like that clause.
"I'm concerned about up-lighting at commercial areas such as Wal-Mart and car dealerships," he said. "They create an exorbitant amount of light pollution."
Thurman replied that those businesses are located within municipalities and the county has no control over them. He added that as far as he knew, no businesses in the unincorporated areas of the county have those types of bright lights.
Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, November 20, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
People who live in park models are looking for attractive and affordable places to retire. Their park model may rest next to their children's site built home. In fact they may have bought the land for their children. These park model dwellers dine in restaurants, shop in stores, play golf ... More residents, in site built homes or park models, generate revenues for local businesses. Thanks for putting out the revenue "welcome mat."
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
people have the right to do what they want with their property, if the housing will be a temporary trailer, so what, hope that they are responsible enough to not let rampant crime percolate, which in return may bring more work for the PPD. It can't be all bad. People who live in trailers are not bad people, good people like retirees live in trailers. I had a bad thought at first too, but I'm sure it'll be okay.
Posted: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Article comment by:
To be fair
If you own the property and live on it you should pay property tax at the same rate as a regular homeowner. And dim them lights.
Posted: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Article comment by:
Jeff
Thank you County supervisors for keeping the dark sky amendment the way it is. It still needs work though, and we need to educate people on the proper way to light there property, etc.
Posted: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Article comment by:
I.M. Sickened
Cuts in education and back yard trailers go hand in hand with a sinking ship ripe for lower wages, more drugs and dependence on the people living in the main house. Nice work, guys
