The District of 100 Mile House is considering updating its Mobile Home Bylaw for the first time since 1978.
Council discussed the potential contents of the new bylaw at the Committee of the Whole Meeting held on Tuesday, May 28. Details were provided in a report presented by Joanne Doddridge, the director of economic development and planning for the District, who noted that “with the current housing shortage, there is increased developer interest in building new mobile home parks within the District of 100 Mile House.”
100 Mile House is already home to several mobile home parks and a new 99 unit-mobile park was proposed to be built at the Exeter Truck route at 101 Mile in 2023. Construction on this park has since gotten underway.
The updated bylaw would have “modernized language, updated fees, reflecting current legislation and generally incorporating best practices.”
Questions were raised about the proposed bylaw, including several from Coun. Donna Barnett. The first question she asked referred to page three of the report, which states that “every person who violates any provision of the bylaw is liable on summary conviction on a penalty not exceeding $10,000.”
READ MORE: New mobile home park proposed in 100 Mile House to address housing needs
“Who determines what the penalty will be when there is something contravening the bylaw?” Barnett asked Doddridge, about the $10,000 penalty.
Doddridge, in response, stated that the cost was adapted from other jurisdictions that had similar penalties.
“We did look around and we did look at other mobile home park bylaws to try to figure out something that was comparable,” stated Doddridge.
Another concern Barnett raised was what she perceived as the ill-defined penalties for breaking the bylaw.
“If I was reading it, and I did something that was very minor, that didn’t fall within the ticketing, then this is kind of evasive. I don’t know how to change it, but maybe just some wording to make it a little bit more, what we are trying to accomplish in the end?” Barnett asked.
Coun. Dave Mingo also added to the conversation, when he proposed a scenario of a mobile home park in which more than the allowable amount of sheds and outbuildings are built, and asked where the penalty would be for such an infraction.
“Is that failure to comply with municipal bylaws?” Mingo asked.
Doddridge, in response, said that she would be looking into similar legislation to see if some had clearer guidelines.
“We had a really hard time finding any modern-day mobile home park bylaws, because they’re all from that 1970s generation. So I think we’re feeling a little progressive.” Doddridge stated.
Other concerns that were discussed included landline and electrical connections to mobile homes.
The report states that staff is to return all associated amendments to the bylaw in a future council meeting.