Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/406201
NOVEMBER 2014 24 THE JOURNAL What kinds of designs make a good manu- factured home land lease community? Patrick H., Bethesda WA Good question. It may seem obvious to many, but not always so especially since for many years and increasingly, zoning and land use is relegated to those areas which may be less desirable for sin- gle and multi family site built residential use. And the best locations may depend on your intended resident: an all ages' family community, or a sen- iors age 55+ age-restricted community. Beyond just the physical homesites and infra- structure, there are many differences. For exam- ple, for a family community, it should be located near and have easy access to good schools, and transportation routes to employment centers. Whereas, the seniors community may be located away from schools, but relatively near colleges and institutions of higher living, and major shopping centers. High traffic locations are for seniors but may be advantageous for families, especially those which are close to supermarkets, laundromats, family dollar stores, and automotive repair shops. Although it may difficult to find appropriately entitled land, both types of communities ideally should have access to public, offsite potable water and wastewater treatment facilities. On site util- ities especially those for wastewater treatment, may create obnoxious odors or unsightly areas for discharge of effluent in settling ponds or sub-sur- face drainage areas. In family communities, these areas may also be used for recreational purposes such as for soccer, football or baseball fields. Older residents may wish to be in locations, which are away from high traffic, and more urban areas, but close to emergency medical care facilities, and pharmacies or rest homes. Seniors communities usually have on-site amenities such as community centers with exer- cise rooms, a heated swimming pool, and tennis courts, and a golf course if possible. Amenities for family communities ideally should match those of area competitive apartments, which may not require a pool or exercise room. Better designed communities provide for off street parking, preferably on the homesite. Higher densities in the range of from 5 to 7 per acre may ok for seniors communities where land- scaping maintenance may be minimized. Side- walks are not necessarily needed if there is bicycle width adjustments Families often may appreciate larger homesites, which allow for children's play areas. Densities may be lower, typically in the range of from 3 to 4 per acre, not allowing for el- evational terrain issues, and may include side- walks, curbs and gutters adjacent to the streets. Family communities may have more appealing sites with fewer on collector streets, but on neigh- borhood designed areas such as cul-de-sacs. Homesites on high traffic thoroughfares are unde- sirable. Seniors communities may be more appro- priately designed with "curvi-linear" street patterns, and not in a higher density "grid" type designs. In both of layouts keeping homesites off high traffic thoroughfares is desirable. Unlike site built home sub-divisions where the homesites are platted or parceled off for sale to res- idents, water distribution and wastewater collec- tion may be less expensively provided in the rear of the homesites, although electric, cable, and TV/Phone may be underground in the streets. In any case, the electric distribution should always be underground rather than overhead for homesite services. Today's more modern electrical distri- bution is made directly to the home with a meter mounted on the house, as with site built, rather than to an expensive "pedestal", as provided for in the days when manufactured homes were occa- sionally moved in or out of a homesite. Home at- tached metering systems are far less expensive to construct, and may be easily coordinated with the various points of manufacture. When community centers are provided along with pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, etc, they should be placed at or near the entrance of a com- munity, with easy access from collector streets. Parking should be adequate at or near the ameni- ties, with easy access to common areas of use such as mailboxes, car wash areas, etc. If it is to be a family community, thought may go into considerations of the use of the commu- nity center as a daytime "day care" center for lease to an entity providing on-site services for resi- dents. In these cases, playgrounds and drop off areas should be adjacent for easy access to arriv- ing/departing automobiles. And, with today's frequent use of small, electric golf carts, charging stations which are in the immediate area of the amenities are appreciated by seniors. Depending on the overall size of the commu- nity, secondary, alternate community access points may be created using "break through" bar- riers for emergency vehicles, and which are nor- mally blocked off. On street parking is to be avoided whenever possible. Notwithstanding additional maintenance is- sues, liberal use of low maintenance landscaping at entrances, around locational signage, and com- munity amenities greatly adds to the overall ap- peal. Easy to read street signage and night time security lighting should be well placed to add to the community's overall appearance. Don't cut down existing trees if possible, especially in com- mon areas. When naming the community, try not to use names including terms like: estates, wheel, trailer, mobile, acres, villa, etc. Names which relate to the general location of the property like Peachtree or street name descriptions are gener- ally preferable. Try to use terms like: woods, lands, middle, western, east, south, stream, tour, side, pines, lake, in combinations such as: woodlands, wood-stream, lakeland, south- stream, eastern-pines, lakeside, etc. But most important of all, is to design it to be as easy to be well maintained as possible, and get away from linear, or grid type layouts. The resi- dents will find the community attractive, and be proud to call it home. Edward "Eddie" Hicks, lic. RE Broker, and Lic. Mortgage Broker has been a manufactured housing community developer and industry consultant, retailer and home manufacturer since 1963, and is currently the sales manager for a seniors Age 55+ m/h condominium homesite community in Central Florida: Hidden Harbor on Lake Harris. He may be reached at (813) 300-6150 and at easteddie@aol.com His websites are: www.mobilehomepark.com www.fac- torybuilthome.com and www.fha207m.com Ask Eddie BY ED HICKS DEVELOPMENT MARKETING T J