Listen here:
The Yucca Valley Town Council held a last-minute special meeting at 9AM last Friday (December 1st) to vote on a Senior Mobile Home Park Moratorium Urgency Ordinance.
In the wake of Gates of Spain Mobile Estates new ownership announcing development to the northside of the property and opening the longtime 55+ community to all-ages, nearly 70 tenants and supporters of the mobile park showed up to the emergency special meeting to voice their opposition.
The meeting began with Town Attorney Thomas Jex presenting the Urgency Ordinance, which would put a 45-day pause on the progress of Gates of Spain’s new owner’s unpopular plans. This pause would leave time to study and analyze the effects it would have on the community. Jex said to the council members, “It’s important to recognize that this ordinance, should you choose to approve it, would not make any changes within the town. Its purpose is to preserve the status quo (of low-income housing for 55+).” With Gates of Spain being one of six mobile home parks in Yucca Valley, this ordinance would set a precedent for the others.
Eight attendees, most of which were tenants of Gates of Spain, spoke for public comment citing potential of juvenile delinquency, noise, and general safety should the park turn all ages. Tom, a 95-year-old tenant, added the fact that the new owners, a company from back east, would also be developing land with over 100 Joshua Trees. “They don’t seem to care about us,” he claimed.
Council members asked the packed house if there was any opposition to the proposed Urgency Ordinance. With no opposition, council members passed the ordinance 4/0 to a round of applause.
UPDATED: . The story has been clarified to ammend Tom’s statement to suggest that the land contains “over 100 Joshua Trees.”
