Town of Williamson, NY Technical Standards

No part of any park shall be used for nonresidential purposes, except as permitted by this chapter or by Chapter 178, Zoning.

Nothing contained in this article shall be deemed as prohibiting the sale of a mobile home located on a mobile home stand and connected to the pertinent utilities.

Minimum site size and lot size.

The minimum site size for a mobile home park shall be 10 acres with a minimum of 10 lots.

The mobile home park shall be subdivided and marked off into mobile home lots. Each lot shall have a minimum area of not less than 5,000 square feet and a minimum dimension of not less than 50 feet.

Separation between mobile homes.

Mobile homes shall be separated from each other and from other buildings and structures by at least 30 feet; provided that mobile homes placed end-to-end may have a clearance of 20 feet where opposing rear walls are staggered.

An accessory structure which has a horizontal area exceeding 25 square feet, is attached to a mobile home or located within 10 feet of its window, and has a top or roof that is higher than the nearest window shall, for purposes of all separation requirements, be considered to be part of the mobile home.

Recreation areas.

In all parks there shall be one or more recreation areas which shall be easily accessible to all park residents.

The size of such recreation areas shall be based upon a minimum of 200 square feet for each lot. No outdoor recreation area shall contain less than 5,000 square feet.

Recreation areas shall be so located as to be free of traffic hazards and should, where the topography permits, be centrally located.

Playground equipment shall be installed in each required recreation area.

Setbacks, buffer strips and screening.

All mobile homes shall be located at least 75 feet from any park property boundary line abutting upon a public street or highway and at least 50 feet from other park property boundary lines.

There shall be a minimum distance of 15 feet between an individual mobile home and adjoining pavement of a park walk, street or common parking area or other common areas.

All mobile home parks shall be provided with screening such as attractive and well-maintained fences or natural growth along the property boundary line separating the park and adjacent uses.

Street systems.

General requirements. All mobile home parks shall be provided with safe and convenient vehicular access to abutting public streets or roads to each mobile home lot. Alignment and gradient shall be properly adapted to topography.

Access. Access to mobile home parks shall be designed to minimize congestion and hazards at the entrance or exit and allow free movement of traffic on adjacent streets. The entrance road connecting the park streets with a public road or street shall have a minimum road pavement width of 34 feet where parking is permitted on both sides, or a minimum road pavement width of 27 feet where parking is limited to one side. Where the primary entrance road is more than 100 feet long and does not provide access to abutting mobile home lots within such distance, the minimum road pavement width may be 24 feet, provided parking is prohibited at both sides.

Internal streets. Surfaced roadways shall be of adequate width to accommodate anticipated traffic, and in any case shall meet the following minimum requirements:

All streets, except minor streets, 24 feet.

Minor streets, no parking, 18 feet. (Acceptable only if less than 500 feet long and serving less than 25 mobile homes, or of any length if one-way and providing access to abutting mobile home lots on one side only.)

Dead-end streets shall be limited in length to 1,000 feet and shall be provided at the closed end with a turnaround having an outside roadway diameter of at least 60 feet.

Required illumination of park street systems. All parks shall be furnished with lighting units so spaced and equipped with luminaries placed at such mounting heights as will provide safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles at night.

All parts of the parks' street systems shall be lighted.

Potentially hazardous locations, such as major streets intersections and steps or stepped ramps, shall be lighted.

(5)

Street construction and design standards.

Pavement. All streets shall be provided with a smooth, hard and dense surface which shall be durable and well drained under normal use and weather conditions. Pavement edges shall be protected to prevent traveling of the wearing surface and shifting of the pavement base. Street surfaces shall be maintained free of cracks, holes and other hazards.

Grades. Grades of all streets shall be sufficient to ensure adequate surface drainage, but shall be not more than 8%. Short runs with a maximum grade of 10% may be permitted, provided traffic safety is assured by appropriate paving, adequate leveling areas and avoidance of lateral curves.

Intersections. Within 100 feet of an intersection, streets shall be at approximately right angles. A distance of at least 150 feet shall be maintained between center lines of offset intersecting streets. Intersections of more than two streets at one point shall be avoided.

Off-street parking.

Off-street parking areas shall be provided in all mobile home parks for the use of park occupants and guests. Such areas shall be furnished at the rate of at least 1.25 spaces for each mobile home lot.

Required car parking spaces shall be so located as to provide convenient access to the mobile home, but shall not exceed a distance of 200 feet from the mobile home it is intended to serve.

Walks.

General requirements. All parks shall be provided with safe, convenient, all-season, dust-free, pedestrian access of adequate width for intended use, durable and convenient to maintain between individual mobile homes, the park streets and all community facilities provided for park residents. Sudden changes in alignment and gradient shall be avoided.

Common walk system. A common walk system separated from the road system by a minimum of two feet shall be provided and maintained between locations where pedestrian traffic is concentrated. Such common walks shall have a minimum width of 3 1/2 feet.

Individual walks. All mobile home stands shall be connected to common walks, to paved streets or to paved driveways or parking spaces connecting to a paved street. Such individual walks shall have a minimum width of two feet.

Landscaping. Trees and shrubs shall be provided along all walks and streets, around the recreation areas and along the outer property line at the mobile home park. Trees shall be planted at an interval of not less than 50 feet where feasible.

Mobile home stands. The area of the mobile home stand shall be improved to provide an adequate foundation as set forth in the Building Code of the Town of Williamson for the placement and tie-down of the mobile home, thereby securing the superstructure against uplift, sliding, rotation and overturning. (See Appendix hereto.[1])

The mobile home stand shall not heave, shift or settle unevenly under the weight of mobile home due to frost action, inadequate drainage, vibration or other forces acting on the superstructure.

The mobile home stand shall be provided with anchors and tie-downs such as cast-in-place concrete dead-men eyelets embedded in concrete foundations or runways, screw augers, arrowhead anchors or other devices securing the stability of the mobile home.

Anchors and tie-downs shall be placed at least at each corner of the mobile home stand, and each shall be able to sustain a minimum tensile strength of 2,800 pounds.

[1]

Editor's Note: The Appendix is included at the end of this chapter.

Waiver of requirements.

Upon a finding of the Town Board that, due to special conditions particular to the site, taking into consideration all factors relevant thereto, any requirement of this section is inappropriate or unnecessary or that strict compliance may cause extraordinary or unnecessary hardship, the Town Board may vary or waive such requirement whenever, in the opinion of the Board, such waiver shall not:

Be detrimental to the public health, safety, welfare, comfort, or convenience of the neighborhood and/or the town;

Have a potential impact on the character of the neighborhood, its orderly development, the orderly and/or reasonable use of adjacent properties, the general harmony of the neighborhood in relation to its orderly development and/or in relation to the reasonable use of the adjacent properties; and

Have the effect of nullifying the intent of this section.

A request for such a waiver shall be made in writing to the Town Board, which shall refer the request to the Planning Board for recommendation and hold a public hearing before the Town Board on such request.

[Added 9-24-1996 by L.L. No. 4-1996]

§ 113-15 Water supply requirements.

General. An accessible, adequate, safe and potable supply of water shall be provided in each mobile home park. Where a public supply of water of satisfactory quantity, quality and pressure is available, connection shall be made thereto and its supply used exclusively. When a satisfactory public water supply is not available, a private water supply system may be developed and used as approved by the New York State Department of Health.

Source of supply.

The water supply shall be capable of supplying a minimum of 150 gallons per day per mobile home.

Every well or suction line of the water supply system shall be located and constructed in such a manner that neither underground nor surface contamination will reach the water supply from any source. The following minimum distances between wells and various sources of contamination shall be required:

Contamination Sources	Well or Suction Line (distance in feet)
Building sewer	50
Septic tank	50
Disposal field	100
Seepage pit	100
Dry well	50
Cesspool	150

No well casings, pumping machinery or suction pipes shall be placed in any pit, room or space extending below ground level nor in any room or space above-ground which is walled in or otherwise enclosed, unless such rooms, whether above or below ground, have free drainage by gravity to the surface of the ground.

The treatment of a private water supply shall be in accordance with applicable New York State laws and regulations.

Storage facilities. All water storage reservoirs shall be covered, watertight and constructed of impervious material. Overflows and vents of such reservoirs shall be effectively screened. Manholes shall be constructed with overlapping covers so as to prevent the entrance of contaminated material. Reservoir overflow pipes shall discharge through an acceptable air gap.

Distribution system.

The water supply system of the mobile home park shall be connected by pipes to all mobile homes, buildings and other facilities requiring water.

All water piping, fixtures and other equipment shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with state and local regulations and requirements and shall be of a type and in locations approved by the health authority.

The water piping system shall not be connected with nonpotable or questionable water supplies and shall be protected against the hazards of backflow or back siphonage.

The system shall be so designed and maintained as to provide a pressure of not less than 20 pounds per square inch under normal operating conditions at service buildings and other locations requiring potable water supply.

Water risers.

Individual water riser pipes shall be located within the confined area of the mobile home stand at a point where the water connection will approximate a vertical position.

Water riser pipes shall extend at least four inches above ground elevation. The pipe shall be at least 3/4 inch. The water outlet shall be capped when a mobile home does not occupy the lot.

Adequate provisions shall be made to prevent freezing of service lines, valves and riser pipes and to protect risers from heaving and thawing actions of ground during freezing weather. Surface drainage shall be diverted from the location of the riser pipe.

A shutoff valve below the frost line shall be provided near the water riser pipe on each mobile home lot.

(5)

Underground stop and waste valves shall not be installed on any water service.

§ 113-16 Sewage disposal.

General. An adequate and safe sewerage system shall be provided in all mobile home parks for conveying and disposing of all sewage. Such system shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with state and local laws.

Sewer lines. All sewer lines shall be located in trenches of sufficient depth to be free of breakage from traffic or other movements and shall be separated from the park water supply system at a safe distance. Sewers shall be at a grade which will ensure a velocity of two feet per second when flowing full. All sewer lines shall be constructed of materials approved by the New York State Health Department, shall be adequately vented and shall have watertight joints.

Sewer connections.

Each mobile home stand shall be provided with at least a four-inch-diameter sewer riser pipe. The sewer riser pipe shall be so located on each stand that the sewer connection to the mobile home drain outlet will approximate a vertical position.

The sewer connection (see definition, § 113-5) shall have a normal inside diameter of at least three inches, and the slope of any portion thereof shall be at least 1/4 inch per foot. The sewer connection shall consist of one pipeline only without any branch fittings. All joints shall be watertight.

All materials used for sewer connections shall be semirigid, corrosive resistant, nonabsorbent and durable. The inner surface shall be smooth.

Provision shall be made for plugging the sewer riser pipe when a mobile home does not occupy the lot. Surface drainage shall be diverted away from the riser. The rim of the riser pipe shall extend at least four inches above ground elevation.

Treatment and discharge. Where the sewer lines of the mobile home park are not connected to a public sewer, all proposed sewage disposal facilities shall conform to the regulations of the State Health Department prior to construction. Effluents from sewer treatment facilities discharged into any waters of the state shall conform to the regulations of the State Health Department.

§ 113-17 Electrical distribution system.

General. Every park shall contain an electrical wiring system consisting of wiring, fixtures, equipment and appurtenances which shall be installed and maintained in accordance with applicable codes and regulations governing such systems.

Electrical and telephone utilities.

The mobile home park operator shall arrange with the serving utility for underground installation of the utilities, distribution supply lines and service connections.

All direct burial conductor or cable shall be buried in accordance with the practice and provisions of the serving utilities.

Electrical connections.

Each mobile home lot shall be provided with an approved disconnecting device and over-current protective equipment. The minimum service per outlet shall be 120 / 240 volts AC, 100 amperes.

Where the calculated load of the mobile home is more than 100 amperes, either a second outlet receptacle shall be installed or electrical service shall be provided by means of permanently installed conductors.

Grounding. All exposed, non-current-carrying metal parts of mobile homes and all other equipment shall be grounded by means of an approved grounding conductor with branch circuit conductors or other approved method of grounded metallic wiring. The neutral conductor shall not be used as an equipment ground for mobile homes or other equipment.

§ 113-18 Community service facilities.

General. The requirements of this Article shall apply to service buildings, recreation buildings and other community service facilities such as:

Management offices, repair shops and storage areas.

Sanitary facilities.

Laundry facilities.

Indoor recreation areas.

Community sanitary facilities. Each park shall be provided with the following emergency sanitary facilities: for every 50 mobile home lots, there shall be one flush toilet, one lavatory and one shower for each sex. The building containing such emergency sanitary facilities shall be accessible to all mobile homes.

Structural requirements.

All portions of the structure shall be properly protected from damage by ordinary uses and by decay, corrosion, termites and other destructive elements. Exterior portions shall be of such materials and be so constructed and protected as to prevent entrance or penetration of moisture and weather.

All rooms containing sanitary or laundry facilities shall:

Have sound-resistant walls extending to the ceiling between male and female sanitary facilities. Walls and partitions around showers, bathtubs, lavatories and other plumbing fixtures shall be constructed of dense, nonabsorbent, waterproof material or covered with moisture-resistant material.

Have at least one window or skylight facing directly to the outdoors. The minimum aggregate gross area of windows for each required room shall be not less than 10% of the floor area served by them.

Have at least one window which can be easily opened, or a mechanical device which will adequately ventilate the room.

Toilets shall be located in separate compartments equipped with self-closing doors. Shower stalls shall be of the individual type. The rooms shall be screened to prevent direct view of the interior when the exterior doors are open. Toilet areas shall be lighted.

Hot and cold water shall be furnished to every lavatory, sink, bathtub, shower and laundry fixture; and cold water shall be furnished to every water closet and urinal.

Fireplaces, etc. Cooking shelters, barbecue pits, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves shall be so located, constructed, maintained and used as to avoid fire hazards and smoke nuisance both on the property on which used and on neighboring property. No open fire shall be permitted except in facilities provided. No open fire shall be left unattended. No fuel shall be used and no material burned which emit dense smoke or objectionable odors. No refuse shall be burned at any time.

§ 113-19 Refuse handling.

The storage, collection and disposal of refuse in the mobile home park shall be so conducted as to create no health hazards, rodent harborages, insect breeding areas, accident or fire hazards or air pollution.

All refuse shall be stored in flytight, watertight, rodent-proof containers, which shall be located not more than 150 feet from any mobile home lot. Containers shall be provided in sufficient number and capacity to properly store all refuse.

Refuse collection stands shall be provided for all refuse containers. Such container stands shall be so designed as to prevent containers from being tipped, to minimize spillage and container deterioration and to facilitate cleaning around them.

All refuse containing garbage shall be collected at least twice weekly. Where suitable collection service is not available from municipal or private agencies, the mobile home park operator shall provide this service. All refuse shall be collected and transported in covered vehicles or covered containers.

Where municipal or private disposal service is not available, the mobile home park operator shall dispose of the refuse by transporting to the town disposal site.

Refuse incinerators shall be operated only when attended by some person specifically authorized by the owner or operator of the mobile home park.

§ 113-20 Insect and rodent control.

Grounds, buildings and structures shall be maintained free of insect and rodent harborage and infestation. Extermination methods and other measures to control insects and rodents shall conform with the requirements of the health authority.

Park, shall be maintained free of accumulations of debris which may provide rodent harborage or breeding places for flies, mosquitoes and other pests.

Storage areas shall be so maintained as to prevent rodent harborage: lumber, pipe and other building materials shall be stored at least one foot above the ground.

All exterior openings in or beneath any structure shall be appropriately screened with wire mesh or other suitable materials.

The growth of brush, weeds and grass shall be controlled to prevent harborage of ticks, chiggers and other noxious insects. Parks shall be so maintained as to prevent the growth of ragweed, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac and other noxious weeds considered detrimental to health. Open areas shall be maintained free of heavy undergrowth of any description.

§ 113-21 Fuel supply and storage.

Natural gas system.

Natural gas piping systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance with applicable codes and regulations governing such systems.

Each mobile home lot provided with piped gas shall have an approved manual shutoff valve installed upstream of the gas outlet. The outlet shall be equipped with an approved cap to prevent accidental discharge of gas when the outlet is not in use.

Liquefied petroleum gas systems.

Liquefied petroleum gas systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance with applicable codes and regulations governing such systems.

Systems shall be provided with safety devices to relieve excessive pressures and shall be arranged so that the discharge terminates at a safe location.

Systems shall have at least one accessible means for shutting off gas. Such means shall be located outside the mobile home and shall be maintained in effective operating condition.

All liquefied petroleum gas piping outside of the mobile homes shall be well supported and protected against mechanical injury. Undiluted liquefied petroleum gas in liquid form shall not be conveyed through piping equipment and systems in mobile homes.

(5)

Liquefied petroleum gas containers installed on a mobile home lot shall be securely but not permanently fastened to prevent accidental overturning. Such containers shall not be less than 12 nor more than 60 United States gallons' gross capacity.

(6)

No liquefied petroleum gas vessel shall be stored or located inside or beneath any storage cabinet, carport, mobile home or any other structure, unless such installations are approved by the health authority.

Fuel oil supply systems.

All fuel oil supply systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance with applicable codes and regulations governing such systems.

All piping from outside fuel storage tanks or cylinders to mobile homes shall be permanently installed and securely fastened in place.

All fuel oil storage tanks or cylinders shall be securely fastened in place and shall not be located inside or beneath any mobile home or less than five feet from any mobile home exit.

Storage tanks located in areas subject to traffic shall be protected against physical damage.

§ 113-22 Fire protection.

The mobile home shall be subject to fire prevention chapters which may be adopted by the town.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 68, Building Construction and Fire Prevention.

Mobile home parks shall be kept free of litter, rubbish and other flammable materials.

Portable fire extinguishers of a type approved by the fire prevention authority shall be kept in service buildings and at all other locations designated by such fire prevention authority and shall be maintained in good operating condition.

Fires shall be made only in stoves, incinerators and other equipment intended for such purposes.

Fire hydrants.

Fire hydrants shall be installed if the park water supply system is capable of serving them in accordance with the following requirements:

The water supply system shall permit the operation of a minimum of two one-and-one-half hose streams.

Each of two nozzles, held four feet above the ground, shall deliver at least 75 gallons of water per minute at a flowing pressure of at least 30 pounds per square inch at the highest elevation point of the park.