News 12 at 11 o'clock, September 2, 2009

GROVETOWN, Ga.---The owner of Creekside Estates in Grovetown says he has lots of units in his mobile home park that are more than 10 years old but they are still in excellent condition. He also says there are plenty of other good mobile homes out there for people to live in but the new ordinance won't allow it.

Randy Gilbert has owned Creekside Estates for years. He says the mobile home park has dozens of manufactured homes, some of them close to 20 years old. Many of them have been repainted, added fixtures and upgraded features added.

"I can go out here and find a 20-year home, perfect shape, not a problem with it," says Gilbert. "I can also go out here and find a five-year home that's a piece of trash."

That's why Gilbert is not happy with a new Grovetown ordinance that prohibits homes older than ten years old from being added to the property. The change came back in April. The new policy says it is because mobile homes have a "limited life expectancy" and over time become dilapidated structures.The Director of Planning and Zoning shall not grant a permit if the structure is more than ten years old."

Recently a young couple tried to bring in a home older than that in Creekside Estates. They were denied.

"These people should not have been treated this way as far as not having their permit issued on this particular situation," adds Gilbert.

"They want affordable housing, they don't want to go out there and overextend themselves in this kind of economy and get their house repossessed they want something they can afford and get into."

Gilbert believes in his opinion while it may not be intentional, the new policy will prevent some people from living in decent housing.

"It discriminates against affordable homes. Grovetown was built on manufactured homes years ago. This shouldn't have happened to these folks,or anybody else for that matter."

As far as the couple denied the permit, Gilbert says he plans to try to help them.

"We're going to make good on them," says Gilbert. "We are going to get straightened out as far as this whole thing is concerned one way or another."

The city ordinance says that if you are denied a permit because the home is too old you can appeal within 10 days of the denial.

In Richmond County, according to the Planning and Zoning Department, the county does not regulate manufactured homes by age but rather by zoning. There's also no age requirement on mobile homes in Aiken County.