omha.info - ENCINITAS: City approves mobile home park ownership change

ENCINITAS ----The last city step toward converting the ownership of The Sands mobile home park arrived Thursday when the Encinitas Planning Commission approved a final parcel map for the project.

Now, the state Department of Real Estate will have its say on the proposal, which will allow the residents of the 56-space park at 1624 N. Coast Highway to purchase the land where their trailers sit.

A state decision is expected within several months, the park owner's attorney said Thursday night. Once that occurs, park owner Patrick O'Malley can begin selling the individual trailer lots, attorney Jon Rodrigue said after the commission's unanimous vote.

Known as an ownership "conversion," the sales proposal is similar to changing an apartment complex into condominiums. However, unlike typical apartment dwellers, the mobile home park residents already own the structures they live in. They just don't have title to the ground beneath their dwellings.

Whether the park's residents want to buy that land, or even can afford the purchase price, is another matter. Residents told the City Council in 2007 when it voted to allow the subdivision effort to proceed that the proposed lot prices ---- estimated at $180,000 to $220,000 ---- were far too high.

Thursday planning commissioners heard from several residents who urged them to do everything they could to prevent the ownership conversion. They listed various problems they said were ongoing at the park, including sewer-line troubles and cracking retaining walls.

Part-time park resident Chris Carbonel held out a plastic jug of yellowish-looking water that he said he had collected from his kitchen faucet.

"As you can see, we have unpotable water," he added as he recited his list of problems at the park.

Commissioners said that the things the residents were bringing up could not be handled that night.

"Basically, when we approve a final map, we're looking at a land division issue," Commissioner Gene Chapo said.

Chapo said the residents should approach the county health department with their concerns about the water, saying a donut shop also shares that water line.

The park's attorney said he wasn't aware of any problems with the water supply.

He said he believed Carbonel's problem might simply be that he hadn't used his pipes in a while. He also said that most of the sewer line problems were caused by "improper materials shoved into the toilets" ---- a comment that caused residents to shake their heads and mutter in disbelief.

Resident Gloria Derouen told the commissioners that she was fully aware they could do little about her issues with the park's owner, but said she wanted to speak to someone. She said she has no interest in buying her spot, or even renting it anymore, but can't get rid of it because the ownership change proposal is in the works.