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E-M:/ Re: SG-W:/ Maunfactured Housing
Laura,
Thanks for responding.
One way to impact the process is to get individuals of your group and members of
other watershed groups from around Michigan to contact (ASAP, as these bills
need to be ready by June before the House leaves for summer vacation) their
Representative, and Rep. Scranton, and Rep. Garcia- I'll give you their numbers
and e-mail to pass along. I think it is necessary to get a broad spectrum
of constituents to pressure change because this industry is big and has a Lot of
apparent supporters in the political arena. FYI: Michigan is one of only 2
states that have a commission at the State level. Most other States don't
have to contend with this particular industry when addressing issues relating to
sprawl. Lucky us! Anyway, if members of watershed groups mobilized,
and members of MEC mobilized, and members of other environmental organizations
focused on this issue it would get taken more serious. It needs to become
an issue.
Rep.Judith Scranton: 1-800-295-0066; e-mail jscrant@house.state.mi.us.
Rep.Scranton is the only member that was also on the task force looking into
this in 1997, she's the "leader".
When we talk about farmland being used up to
accommodate development, we can't ignore this sector. They have a habit of
targeting financially weak rural townships that have farmland available.
In Lima township (where we farm) they want to rezone 136 acres of really good
farmland. In order to get as much profit out of the land they would like
to fill in a large wetland and mow down 40+ acres of old growth
oak.
There is now a new "park" going in in
the Saline area on what was formerly farmland.
There is a "park" attempting to be
developed in Sharon Twp. on what is farmland.
There is a " park" attempting to be
developed in Stockbridge on... yes Farmland.
And in Grasslake there is a "park"
going in.
I am astounded to think there is such a need for
so many parks. Is this really being driven by an insatiable hunger of many
to live in these places? Or could it be the approximately 36% return on
ones investment that fuels this type of development? Tough one to figure
out huh?
So there are my suggestions, let me know what
you think.
Jennie
I am the E.D. of the Huron River Watershed
Council in SE Michigan and we are very concerned about the impacts of Mobile
Home Park Development on water quality/land use impacts. How can we
get involved or have some impact in this process?
Thanks, Laura
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 10:29
PM
Subject: SG-W:/ Maunfactured
Housing
Here's another environmental issue
working its way through the House. Changing the way Mobile Home
Parks do business in Michigan. I don't know where this falls with
respect to timber mandates and "slob" farming, but it
certainly is an industry that is making some very big impacts on rural
townships and the environment. Mondays edition of the Detroit News
had a front page article highlighting again the disparities between the
taxes mobile home park residents pay Vs. property owners. Rep.
Judith Scranton and Rep. Valde Garcia are heading up ANOTHER task force
(the Engler administration created a task force to look into this in
1997) to try change the state law. These behemoth developments
definitely give birth to sprawl by the simple fact that they require
greater amounts of services yet don't pay for them, thereby almost
requiring townships to invite industry and commercial businesses into
areas just to help cover the expense of these parks And if that
isn't enough, many parks have on site sewer/water treatment plants that
have a high failure rate, which in turn tend to spill into water ways
and pollute. And let's not forget the amount of impervious
surfaces rolled out to support these very unsustainable
"houses". Anyway, these bills always get buried because
there are not enough people around the state feeling the impacts of this
industry. Yet townships need to have a way to put limits on how many
housing units one park can hold and try to place them in places with
existing sewer. But many developers, when they don't get a
rezoning permit approved take rural townships to court, and again
property tax payers pay, and usually lose.
Here's another opportunity to
change bad policy and put forth a common sense approach to land use, but
it will take many people being vocal and letting their representatives
know that this industry has to change. Or we can just deal with another
50 years of business as usual, and there will be no rural townships
anymore.
Jennie
B.