News Details

Buena Vista Mobile Home Closure

Buena Vista Mobile Home Park Closure Decision

On September 30, 2014 Hearing Officer Craig Labadie issued a final decision on the Mobile Home Park Closure application. To review the decision letter please click here.

The City received the final decision on October 1, 2014. The final decision was forwarded to the park owner and park resident's attorney on October 1, 2014. Per PAMC 9.76.060, any appeal must be filed with the City Clerk " within ten days of the date the hearing officer's decision becomes final." The decision became final on September 30, 2014, so any appeal must be filed by October 10, 2014. As October 10th falls on a 9/80 Friday, when City Hall is closed, the last day of the appeal period would roll over to the next business day- Tuesday, October 14, 2014 (Monday, October 13, 2014 is a holiday). If an appeal is filed, the City Council will agendize the appeal at an appropriate and reasonable time. 

Appeal Form

Background

The Buena Vista Mobile Home Park is located at 3980 El Camino Real and is situated on four parcels encompassing a total land area of approximately 4.5 acres (196,020 sq. ft.). The existing mobile home park consists of 104 mobile homes, 12 studio units and one single family home. The studios and single family units are rental units. The site is zoned RM-15 (low density multi-family) with a Comprehensive Plan land use designation of Multi-Family. The site is located within the Barron Park neighborhood, just south of the corner of Los Robles Avenue and El Camino Real. Directly across the street from the site along Los Robles Avenue are the three-story 46-unit Montage Apartments and the 37-unit two-story Villa de Las Plazas. The western border of the property is adjacent to a 16-unit, two-story apartment building and one and two-story single family homes, all located on Magnolia Drive. The southern border of the site is shared with a two-story affordable apartment community owned by the Palo Alto Housing Corporation and the northern border is shared with an existing retail building that includes Baja Fresh, Jamba Juice, C2 Education Center, Imperial Spa (formerly Blockbuster Video) and the Valor Gas Station, which all front on El Camino Real. The commercial areas are owned by the same owner but are not proposed for conversion or land use change.

Overview

On November 9, 2012, the owner of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park, located at 3980 El Camino Real, submitted an application to close the Park in accordance with the City’s Mobile Home Park Conversion Ordinance (Ordinance) Chapter 9.76 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code. By Ordinance, the Park owner and the City are required to follow a set of rules for determining the potential impacts of the closure on the mobile home owners residing in the Park and to determine appropriate relocation assistance for the Park residents. The Ordinance requires that a Relocation Impact Report (RIR) must be provided to the City after individual meetings between a “relocation specialist” and residents, with the RIR outlining proposed terms for relocation. After the Relocation Impact Report has been deemed complete by the City a hearing officer appointed by the City will then conduct a hearing to consider if the relocation assistance measures proposed by the park owner are adequate to mitigate the adverse impacts on the displaced residents.  The hearing will also provide an opportunity to consider objections by residents, and that determination may then be appealed to the City Council.

The Ordinance includes the following basic steps in the process, and in some cases, timelines for each:

1. Applicant files closure application.

2. Applicant retains, upon the City’s approval, a Relocation Specialist and an Appraiser.

3. Applicant distributes a Resident Questionnaire to all residents, outlining their particular

circumstances (mobile home ownership and value, family and special needs, etc.).

4. Relocation Specialist meets individually (generally multiple times) with each household

to outline options for relocation and financial assistance.

5. A Relocation Impact Report (RIR) is provided to the City, to address the proposed

relocation assistance to be provided to each eligible household.

6. An appraisal of the value of the Park is provided to the City.

7. A hearing with a City-selected Hearing Officer is conducted to determine whether

residents have agreed upon relocation assistance terms or to adjudicate disputes.

8. If desired by any resident, an appeal to the City Council is available to consider

individual relocation concerns or objections; and

9. Following final determinations, a Notice of Relocation is issued and a minimum of six (6)

months is afforded to residents in order to relocate from the Park and for the park

owner to provide the relocation assistance required by the City as a condition of

conversion.

The overall timeline for the above process is likely to take at least six (6) months, prior to the

Notice of Relocation, so at least 12 months from the application to relocation.