San Mateo Municipal Code Ch. 27.17 Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes shall conform to the minimum lot size, yard areas, access, vehicular parking, and setbacks for the zone in which they are to be installed in addition to meeting the standards set forth in this ordinance.

(1) For purposes of permitting manufactured homes in residential zones, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) "Architectural features" shall mean an architectural feature that occurs or appears frequently on conventionally-built homes within three hundred (300) feet from the boundaries of a parcel on which a manufactured home is proposed.

(b) "Manufactured home" shall mean a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width, or forty (40) feet or more in length, or when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems are contained within the structure. "Manufactured home" shall also include any structure which meets all the requirements of this subsection except the size requirements and to which the manufacturer voluntarily has filed a certification and complies with the standards established by the Health and Safety Code. "Manufactured home" shall also include a mobilehome subject to the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Act of 1974. "Manufactured home" shall include only those structures that contain two or less dwelling units, and that conform to the applicable requirements of the laws of the State of California or United States.

(c) "Manufactured home" shall mean a dwelling manufactured off-site, conforming to state or federal standards, (bearing a state, or federal label) and transportable in one or more sections, designed to be installed on a permanent foundation.

(d) "Permanent foundation" shall mean assembly of materials constructed below, or partially below grade, not intended to be removed from its installation site, which is designed to support a manufactured home structure and engineered to resist the imposition of external natural forces, as defined by the Health and Safety Code or the Uniform Building Code, whichever is more restrictive.

The initial installation of a manufactured home on a parcel which has been installed on a permanent foundation pursuant to this ordinance shall be deemed to be a manufactured home subject to local property taxation pursuant to the Health and Safety Code and the Revenue and Taxation Code. Upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the City shall record with the County Recorder the specifics of such permanent installation and, also, advise the State Department of Housing and Community Development.

A manufactured home unit on a permanent foundation on a private lot may be permitted subject to the approval of a site plan and architectural review (SPAR) application by the Zoning Administrator. The applicant/owner shall also provide the information required on the MH Form. Subsequent modifications, such as, room additions, shall be subject to issuance of a building permit.

A manufactured home shall not be installed on a permanent foundation on a private parcel unless it:

(a) Was constructed after September 15, 1971, and was issued an insignia of approval by the California Department of Housing and Community Development or was constructed after July 1, 1976, and was issued a label of approval by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and

(b) Has not been altered in violation of applicable federal and state codes; and

(c) The board, upon the findings and recommendations of its members shall determine the eligibility of each mobilehome unit to be installed.

A manufactured home located on a permanent foundation on a private parcel shall:

(a) Be occupied only as a residential use type.

(b) Be subject to all provisions of the Municipal Code applicable to conventional residential structures.

(c) Meet all development and design standards for the zone in which they are to be installed, including but not limited to the parking standards in Chapter 27.64 conforming to the maximum floor area ratio, and including landscape requirements, as applicable.

(d) Be attached to a permanent foundation in compliance with all applicable building regulations, and of the health and Safety code.

(e) Have a minimum width of twenty (20) feet or be a double-wide, multi-sectional unit.

(f) Be covered with exterior building materials and have architectural features customarily used on conventional residential dwellings and be approved by the board. The exterior covering material shall extend to finished grade, except that when a solid concrete or masonry perimeter foundation is used, the exterior covering material need not extend below the top of the foundation.

(g) Have a roof with a pitch of not less than two (2) inch vertical rise for each twelve (12) inch of horizontal run and consisting of shingles or other material customarily used for conventional residential dwellings.

(h) Assure that the general appearance of the structure and property is in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. To achieve this assurance, the board shall require porches and eaves or roofs with eaves, specific roofing materials and siding when, in its opinion, it is necessary to be compatible with the dwellings in the area. The board shall assure that:

(1) All windows and doors be architecturally treated in a manner complimentary to the building's overall design and shall comply to the City's security standards.

(2) Screening be provided for all mechanical and electrical equipment, so that they are not visible from the public right-of-way. For roof and wall mounted equipment, the screening shall be an integral part of the building design.

(3) Exterior materials shall generally consist of those permitted by the Uniform Building Code. Shiny, metallic surfaces are unacceptable.

(i) Be provided with standard utility connections. The housing unit electrical, gas, water and drain connections shall be made permanent in a manner applicable to permanent buildings. Gas shutoff valves, meters and regulators shall not be located beneath the manufactured home.

(j) Obtain a site development permit pursuant to Chapter 23.40 of this code.

Modification of the standards set forth in section 27.17.060, paragraphs (e), (f) and (g), may be granted by the board if it finds that such modification will not be detrimental to the public interest or surrounding residents or properties.

Subsequent to applying for the required building permits, and prior to occupancy, the owner shall surrender the certificate of title or other indicia of registration to the state department of community development pursuant to section 18551(b) of the California Health and Safety Code. Thereafter, any vehicle license plate, certificate of ownership, and certificate of registration issued by a state agency is to be surrendered to the appropriate state agencies. Any manufactured home which is permanently attached to a permanent foundation must bear a California insignia or federal label, pursuant to section 18550(b) of the Health and Safety Code.

Prior to installation of a mobilehome on a permanent foundation, the mobilehome owner or a licensed contractor shall obtain a building permit from the City building division. To obtain such a permit, the owner or contractor shall comply with all requirements of section 18551(a) of the State Health and Safety Code.