The Arcata Trailer court is unlikely to get the full layer of protection that the city is deploying to protect residents of mobile home parks.

An order preventing the closure and conversion of mobile home parks and the prospect of a mobile home Park exclusive zone where only mobile home parks will be allowed, were handed down by the Arcata city Council at its regular meeting on Wednesday with the Arcata Trailer court removed from the list of parks that will be granted mobile home Park exclusive zoning. Mobile home parks that are included are: City and country Mobile Home Village, Lazy J ranch, Valley West Manufactory Home community, Arcata Mobile Home Park and Sandpiper Mobile Home Park.

Mobile home Park ordinances are set to return to the Council for adoption on November 20.

“There’s not a huge market push right now for transformation,” said David Loya, Arcata Director of community development. And because of the closure and conversion Ordinance that protects the Arcata Trailer court as much as other mobile home parks in the city, Loya said it’s a safe risk to keep it out of the exclusive zoning overlay.

Mobile home Park zoning requires the owner of a mobile home Park who is closing or converting the Park to replace 20% of the units lost with affordable housing or to lieu a fee to the city Fund for affordable housing.

For Lazy J Ranch, that in-Le sting fee would be nearly $ 5.5 million, while it would be closer to $ 2 million for smaller parks, Loya said.

“The Arcata Trailer trial will be significantly smaller,” he said.

Putting an overhead zone over the Arcata Trailer court would go against the city’s plan to create value and investment opportunities for properties along the K Street corridor, Loya said. This site can contain 32 units per acre, or about a three-story building with 60 units.

“There’s a lot of discretion built into the Ordinance,” said Loya.

So the city Council could refuse to close or convert for a variety of reasons, including if the conversion impact report, which will analyze the impact on every mobile home in the Park, pointed to issues for current residents or a blow to the affordable housing market, among other things, Loya said.

The closure and conversion Ordinance requires relocation benefits to current residents, including in recreational vehicles, but there will be no compensation for the loss of value a resident would face if they lost their mobile home, which cannot realistically be relocated, Loya said.

City Councilwoman Susan Ornelas asked what would happen to a mobile home owner who still owes money on that home to the Bank if the Park is closed.

“They will walk away with debt for an asset they no longer own,” Loya said.

Hillary Mosher, of the Golden state Manufactory-Home Owners League, says the city needs to slow down and revise the language to ensure mobile home Park residents ‘ assets are properly protected.

“It’s not the same as owning a house,” Mosher said. “We have chatter.”

Sonia Waraich can be reached at 707-441-0506.