Planners propose minimum roof pitch for modular homes

By Lynn Hotaling

Members of Sylva's planning board took steps March 18 to tighten the town's definition of what constitutes a modular home.

Working toward having more stringent requirements in place before the April 15 expiration of a town moratorium on modular home construction, town planners voted unanimously to add a minimum 5:12 roof pitch to the modular home definition in Sylva's zoning ordinance.

The proposed change will be presented to members of Sylva's town board next week during their Thursday, April 3, meeting, said zoning administrator Jim Aust. Town board approval is required before the roof-pitch requirement can be incorporated into Sylva's zoning code.

Adding the minimum 5:12 roof pitch was first proposed during a March 6 public hearing; however, uncertainty surrounding the inclusion of other appearance requirements stalled board action.

The consensus of the town board seemed to be to require that plans for modular homes to be built in Sylva's R-1 residential districts be approved by the town's appointed planning board. The sticking point March 13 was determining a way to write guidelines on which to base subjective decisions.

Planning board members decided March 18 that adding the minimum 5:12 roof pitch would accomplish the goal of preventing homes in the town's most restricted residential neighborhoods from "looking like trailers."

Most manufactured homes, including modulars that are said to look like trailers, have a 3:12 roof pitch. Adding a steeper roof pitch to the modular definition should solve the problem, planners agreed.

If approved, the planning board's proposed change would amend the zoning code to read:

"A modular home is a single-family dwelling, consisting of a series of rooms and/or panels constructed and inspected off-site in accordance with the North Carolina State Building Code and transported to its ultimate site and assembled on a permanent foundation. Modular homes may consist of one or more stories. If less than two stories, it shall have no less than two separate roof lines with all roof pitches being a minimum of 5:12."

Sylva officials enacted the moratorium Oct. 31 after a group of Possum Holler residents submitted a petition objecting to the planned construction of several homes they say resemble doublewide trailers.

Possum Holler, which is bounded by Morris and King streets, is zoned R-1, a classification that prohibits mobile homes but allows modular housing.

Neighbors objected to the appearance of a modular home built last year by Morris Street resident Jack Garrett because they say it looks like a doublewide.

The Garretts have since constructed a similar home, which was permitted before town officials imposed the moratorium on modular construction.

Town board members said when they enacted the moratorium they wanted to give the planning board time to refine the description of the types of modular homes allowed in R-1 districts.

Prior to their April 3 regular session, town board members will hold public hearings at 6 and 6:30 p.m. to take comment on several other proposed zoning changes.

The 6 p.m. hearing will be to consider the creation of a planned unit development overlay district, which will allow mixed uses in the same zoning district, as well as adoption of the N.C. Department of Transportation's "Traditional Neighborhood Development Guidelines."

Creation of a planned unit overlay district is essential for the construction of mixed-use communities like Braestone, which local developer Jim Dukes is planning for Grindstaff Cove, said Aust. Such developments will be required to submit master plans with zoning applications if the proposed guidelines are approved.

Adoption of the DOT guidelines is under consideration in order to provide some road construction standards for developers, Aust said.

The 6:30 p.m. hearing has been scheduled to consider a proposed zoning change for the Hattie Deitz property on the corner of Skyland Drive and Mitchell Road.

Heirs are experiencing difficulty selling the 1.25 acre parcel as residential property and have requested it be rezoned B-2 commercial.

Planning board members voted March 18 to recommend instead that the Deitz property be included in a new zoning district to be termed a "professional district," indicating its suitability for such uses as doctors' and lawyers' offices.

Back to Archive: 03/27/03.