BRAINERD — There are no plans in place, but planning for the future of Westwood Mobile Home Park in west Brainerd is among the long-term goals of the city’s Economic Development Authority.
EDA members spoke about the hypothetical steps for redevelopment for that area during their meeting April 6. The discussion came as the result of strategic planning efforts in the past couple years.
In October, EDA members revisited their goals for the future and identified action steps to accomplish those goals. In talking of identifying underused and underdeveloped properties for redevelopment — especially for higher density housing to accommodate needs in the city — and other potential uses for the city’s industrial park, Westwood Mobile Home Park came into the conversation.
Commissioner Mike O’Day mentioned the industrial park in the southern portion of the city has a potential spot for the relocation of mobile homes if the usage of Westwood were to ever change.
The mobile home park has roughly 30-40 homes on it along with a couple vacant lots. The land however is legal nonconforming, meaning it is not zoned for a mobile home park but is grandfathered into the code and allowed to operate as such.
ADVERTISEMENT
But because it is nonconforming, additional mobile homes cannot be added to the land, and any updates to or replacement of current homes must fit in the existing footprint. Essentially, homes cannot be increased in size or replaced with larger homes.
The property is privately owned by a limited liability corporation based in Bemidji, and the homes on it are either owned or rented by the residents.
Community Development Director James Kramvik told the EDA in April he has fielded calls from buyers who are interested in the property, suggesting the park is for sale, though he has not seen the listing anywhere.
While Kramvik said the potential buyers seem to be interested in keeping the property as a mobile home park — and there are no current plans to do anything else with it — he still outlined the process officials would have to follow if a developer wanted to change the usage of the land in the future.
At least 12 months of notice would have to be given to residents before the conversion of a mobile home park, and the owner would have to prepare a closure statement and present it to health commissioners, the housing finance agency, local planning agency and each resident. The City Council would have to schedule a public hearing, and residents would not be required to vacate until 90 days after hearing.
Displaced residents would be informed they might be eligible for payments from the Minnesota Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund as compensation for relocation costs. The city could also provide additional compensation to residents.
There are two other mobile home parks in Brainerd — Stoneybrook South and Meadowview Manor, though Kramvik said they are typically full and would not have room for more homes.
EDA member Toni Bieser said she did not want to take anyone’s home away, especially with the current housing climate, though members agreed they would like to understand the process if the opportunity comes up in the future and be able to communicate that to developers.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s very preliminary — really letting the EDA know what a redevelopment looks like for something like that if something were ever to be proposed in the future,” Kramvik said earlier this week. “Not really something that I believe the EDA’s looking to actively redevelop.”
THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .
The Trust Project
