It was announced at the March 2 Sparwood council meeting that notices would be sent out to Spardell Mobile Home Park residents concerning council’s consideration of development variance permit (DVP) changes in the park.
The DVP process is concurrent with the application for Spardell to create four additional mobile home spaces located in the northeast corner of the property.
The proposed DVPs will recognize that the existing street lighting at the park is sufficient, despite it not meeting the standards required under the Subdivision Servicing Bylaw (SBB).
Specifications under this bylaw include the placement, size, material, illumination level and other factors.
Curbs and gutters will also no longer be a requirement at the park and the roads will be permitted to be reduced to a width of 5.8 meters, in comparison to the standard width of 10.4.
“This park was developed in the 70s and the standards they were built to at that time are far less than they are today,” said Manager of Planning Nelson Wight. “So, moving forward, it makes sense that the owner would want these variances, because to construct an isolated portion of the park to be built at a completely different standard is kind of pointless,” said Wight.
Wight also said that there were other problems associated with the mobile home park including the ongoing issue of poor water pressure.
Costs saved by building below current SBB standards will be put towards upgrading the water distribution system — a frequent complaint from park residents over the years.
Wight has also suggested that the saved funds be put towards completing the paving of all roadways, planting and maintaining trees throughout the park, replacing the park sign, constructing a bus shelter, restoring land damaged by vehicles and landscape enhancement.
Following the delivery of the notices, council will discuss the actual granting of the DVPs to Spardell at its next meeting scheduled for March 16.
Past DVPs for this property over the years have included the reduction of front and rear yard size as well as the reduction of the separation between mobile homes.