The Laramie City Council will decide Tuesday whether to create health and safety standards and update licensing requirements for communities of mobile homes, manufactured homes, recreational vehicles and tents.

None of the proposed changes require any resident to alter their manufactured home or take any steps to bring it up to code.

Ordinance 1922A says "it is necessary to provide for the licensing, regulation, permits and fees for the location and operation" of such communities and structures "in order to protect and promote the public health, morale, convenience, safety and welfare."

The ordinance would make illegal any unlicensed manufactured home communities, recreational vehicle parks, or campgrounds within the city. Licenses would have to be renewed every two years.

The ordinance also establishes safety standards regarding the storage of liquified petroleum gas and fuel oil as well as standards for fire protection, maintenance and the occupation of recreational vehicles and tents, among other items.

Proposed changes under the ordinance include:

  • Continuing the prohibition of using recreational vehicles and travel trailers as dwellings in manufactured home communities;
  • Continuing the 180-day stay limit in RV parks;
  • Defining the process for the conversion of a portion of any existing manufactured home community to an RV park;
  • Requiring the owners of manufactured home communities to repair or remove damaged or neglected amenities before a license can be issued;
  • Increasing license terms from one year to two years;
  • Updating license renewal criteria requiring internal streets to be labeled and manufactured homes to be clearly addressed;
  • Generally modernizing licensing regulations that are at least 50 years old.

The original ordinance would be amended before adoption by substituting Ordinance 1922B -- a refined version of 1922A.

The City of Laramie's website says licensing of such communities in Laramie began in the 1950s -- before zoning existed in Laramie -- and has remained mostly unchanged as part of the zoning code for over half a century.

The ordinance will be up for third and final reading at the Council's regular meeting Tuesday, July 19.

Learn more about the proposed changes at the city's website.

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