by Alex Brooks
A Public Hearing was held on April 20 on a local law repealing Petersburgh’s outdated 1985 Mobile Home Law and establishing a six month moratorium on the review and approval of applications for permits relating to mobile homes and recreational vehicles.
[private]The purpose of the moratorium is to give the Town time to write a new law governing “movable, temporary, or semi-permanent living accommodations on private land.”
Several people at the public hearing objected to the draft that was offered, because it mentioned modular homes as well as mobile homes, and several citizens said that is a completely different type building which is regulated in a different way than mobile homes. The Board and the attorney agreed to strike out all references to modular homes in the law.
Some were concerned that during the six month period, someone may have a pressing need to put in a new mobile home, and wanted to know what would happen in this case. Ferlazzo said the law has a hardship provision, which allows the Town Board to grant a variance from the moratorium if the applicant can demonstrate a pressing need for prompt consideration of their application.
Petersburgh Code Enforcement Officer Martin Conboy said he believes Petersburgh should just follow State Law, and not confuse the issue with a local law. Ferlazzo replied that the Board may decide to do as Conboy suggests – the current law just gives them some time to study the matter – it does not say anything about what will be in the new law.
Sean O’Donovan said since Petersburgh is not allowed to make a law that is less restrictive than state law, any law that Petersburgh passes can only put more restrictions on the citizens ability to install mobile homes, so it would be better to have no local law at all.
Ferlazzo said that will be for the Board to decide, but the nature of the new law is not part of the current discussion.
Later in the evening, at the regular Town Board meeting, the Board unanimously passed the repeal and moratorium by a vote of 4-0. Councilman Neil Geary was not present.[/private]