Yucca Valley seniors will have to wait a little longer before confirmation on an overlay district for mobile home parks.
Last night’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Yucca Valley Planning Commission was led by Vice Chair Mathew Thomas, due to the absence of Chair Alejandro Vasconsuelos. The Commission voted to begin with the second Public Hearing due to significant public turnout for the item, which concerned a proposed ordinance that would add a Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay District to the Development Code. The Town Council adopted a 45-day moratorium on the conversion of seniors-only to all-ages mobile home parks in December 2023. The moratorium has been extended twice then while Town Staff considered permanent zoning solutions, and is currently set to expire in November.
Four of the Town’s seven mobile home parks currently meet the threshold of a seniors-only park, in which 80% of units have at least one resident over the age of 55. The proposed ordinance moves to create an overlay district consisting of these four parks, which are the Country Club Mobile Estates, the Aztec Mobile Home Park, the Gates of Spain Mobile Estates, and the Apache Mobile Home Park. Over thirty residents attended the meeting in support of the Ordinance, and several spoke about the importance of protecting accessible, convenient housing for Yucca Valley seniors.
The Commission had several questions for Assistant Town Attorney Erica Vega concerning language in the proposed ordinance, particularly in regard to federal regulations and a 90% threshold item, beyond which parks can rent to non-seniors to protect occupancy rates. The Commission moved to continue the item to their July 8 meeting, giving Town Staff time to conduct further research on the matter.
The Commission then considered a variance request for a single-family residence to be built at 57461 Bandera Rd. The applicant, Charles Gabriels, requests a variance that would allow for a 20-foot setback, reduced 60% from the 50-foot setback required by the Town’s Development Code. The property is located within a developer-designed Tract Map that covers Western Hills. Town Staff recommended that the Commission deny the application, as the project does not meet the threshold of exceptional circumstances required to approve variance requests. The Commission denied the application, with Commissioner Gerard Noonan abstaining from the vote.
The Commission then considered an Ordinance to update zoning districts and maps to reflect the current Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map from CALFIRE. The new map identifies Very High, High, and Moderate severity zones; Yucca Valley does not currently have any Very High zones within its jurisdiction. The Commission approved the Ordinance.
Lastly, Town Staff presented the Commission with the Land Development Update. The Sun Mesa Ministorage project has selected a CEQA consultant, and the Town is awaiting Walmart to submit outstanding items for CEQA analysis. Bath & Body Works and Famous Footwear are coordinating tenant shell improvements, and are expected to begin demolition of exterior elements soon.
