Zoning Board to Vote on Mobile Home Park

 On July 1, 2021 the Zoning Board will decide if a mobile home park can be built off Cedar Street. This mobile home park will house 322 manufactured homes. (Mobile homes are now called manufactured homes). This is an important decision as presently this area is not zoned for a mobile home park. If approved additional mobile home parks may be built anyplace in town. The zoning board will vote based on the positives vs. the negatives of this development.

The developer claims that this mobile home park will be like Liberty Village however there is one very important difference. Liberty Village is a 55 and over community while this mobile home park is open to all ages. 

The developer and his attorney will cite as the benefits the need for more housing and the tax revenue. Don't fall for it!

The developer and the attorney will state this is affordable housing. But is that true? The city has many abandoned and foreclosed houses that could be purchased. The city also has filled its allotment for affordable housing and are the manufactured homes really affordable? The manufactured home's cost starts at $114,900. The cost per month for the owner would be around $1300.00. For a person buying the same price home the cost including taxes and water and sewer would be around $950.00/month. Home ownership is more affordable. 

The developer and his attorney will claim that the taxes are a benefit to the city. The developer pays taxes on the land and certain improvements such as a storage building or a club house only. There are NO taxes on the 322 manufactured homes just a flat fee of $53/month per unit paid to the city. The taxpayers in Millville are paying $345/month on the same price home. Is that fair to the taxpayers in Millville? So the city is losing out on $2,600,000 in taxes on the homes per year.

The negatives on this project are the costs to the taxpayers:

1. Due to the increase of 322 manufactured homes, there will be an increased burden on the police, the fire department, and the rescue squad.  There will have to be new hires and new equipment that the taxpayers will have to pay for not the development. There has been talk for years that if the population on the west side of town increased the city would need a fire house on that side of town. The taxpayers would have to pay for the new fire hall not this development.

2. As this development is not age restricted, there will be children. This will be an increased burden on the school system. The project calls for 322 homes even if half of the families has one child there will be a substantial increase in children in the school system. A system that is already having budget difficulties. The children in this project would force Millville to overcrowd its classrooms, hire more staff, and potentially build a new school. Again paid for by the taxpayers not this development.

3: The water and sewer plants have had several improvements over the years with the present population in mind and still cannot service the Laurel Lake area.  This 322 manufactured home development would increase the burden on the sewer and water plants. Who will pay for the necessary upgrades? It will be the taxpayers not the development. 

4. Cedarville Road already has problems with drainage and traffic so when the 90+ acres are cleared and 322 manufactured homes are added these issues will be increased. The taxpayers will have to pay for the necessary upgrades not this development.

So while this mobile home project will be presented as a positive for the city, it is not.  The cost to the taxpayers will far outweigh the tax money the city will receive on this project.  Every taxpayer in the city will be paying for this project. This will be another burden to the city's taxpayers at a time when they cannot afford it. Attend the zoning board meeting and express your concerns. The meeting is 6 pm July 1st at City Hall.

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