Residents object to trailer parks
GULFPORT - Harrison County is trying to find property for temporary mobile home parks, but neighbors objected Monday to several locations, even though federal law mandates the parks be dismantled in two years.
"It creates an environment people don't want to live around," Gulfport developer Don Hall told the Harrison County Board of Supervisors on Monday. "When this 18- to 24-month period ends, it's very hard to ask people to leave."
Supervisors considered seven private parcels but after a public hearing approved only three: up to 150 mobile homes on property off Lamey Bridge Road in D'Iberville, up to 200 mobile homes south of Interstate 10 and west of Vidalia Road, and up to 70 campers off Canal Road south of I-10.
"We're way behind on this and we're jumping through a lot of hoops," said Mike Andrews, director of Harrison County's temporary housing effort.
The parks approved Monday are not expected to open until early 2006. Bechtel is setting up the parks under a contract with FEMA. Construction takes six to 10 weeks once site approval is secured from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a lease agreement with the property owner is reached.
At the public hearing, Andrews said Hurricane Katrina displaced more than 7,000 renters, mostly from damaged or destroyed apartment complexes. Established mobile home and RV parks are filled up, he said.
Ten weeks after Katrina, only one park has opened in Long Beach but Andrews said 32 temporary sites have been identified.
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"It creates an environment people don't want to live around," Gulfport developer Don Hall told the Harrison County Board of Supervisors on Monday. "When this 18- to 24-month period ends, it's very hard to ask people to leave."
Supervisors considered seven private parcels but after a public hearing approved only three: up to 150 mobile homes on property off Lamey Bridge Road in D'Iberville, up to 200 mobile homes south of Interstate 10 and west of Vidalia Road, and up to 70 campers off Canal Road south of I-10.
"We're way behind on this and we're jumping through a lot of hoops," said Mike Andrews, director of Harrison County's temporary housing effort.
The parks approved Monday are not expected to open until early 2006. Bechtel is setting up the parks under a contract with FEMA. Construction takes six to 10 weeks once site approval is secured from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a lease agreement with the property owner is reached.
At the public hearing, Andrews said Hurricane Katrina displaced more than 7,000 renters, mostly from damaged or destroyed apartment complexes. Established mobile home and RV parks are filled up, he said.
Ten weeks after Katrina, only one park has opened in Long Beach but Andrews said 32 temporary sites have been identified.
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posted by Kent at 12:38 PM
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