Chapter 18.08
FACTORY ASSEMBLED RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES PLACEMENT
Sections:
18.08.035 Life safety inspection—Older construction.
18.08.040 Placement permits and fees.
18.08.060 General installation requirements.
18.08.070 Building site preparation.
18.08.010 Applicability.
This chapter shall apply to all new placements of factory assembled structures in the incorporated area of Connell, including those to be located within a mobile home park, used for dwelling or sleeping purposes. Any factory assembled structure located on an established site, on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, which complies with existing regulations at the time it was so located shall not be required to meet the requirements of this chapter until such time as it is relocated to another site. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.020 Purpose.
This chapter is adopted for the purpose of protecting the public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Connell, and to be in compliance with Chapters 296-150A through 296-255 WAC. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.030 Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, words set out in this section shall have the following meanings:
(1) Building Official. The “building official,” or his designee, is the officer charged with the administration and enforcement of this chapter.
(2) Factory assembled structures shall include mobile homes, manufactured homes, modular homes and/or park models as defined in Section 16.48.020.
(3) “Installer” means an individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, or agency responsible for the installation of a factory assembled structure. This includes the owner of the property.
(4) “Lot of record” means a parcel of land used or which is capable of being used under the regulations of this chapter and the comprehensive zoning ordinance for the city of Connell.
(5) “Mobile home park” is defined in Section 16.48.020.
(6) “Mobile home space” is defined in Section 16.48.020.
(7) “Recreation vehicle” is as defined in Section 16.48.020.
(8) “Skirting” means approved material not adversely affected by the elements, which is securely anchored by an approved method to a factory assembled structure and covers the entire space except required for crawl hole access between the bottommost point of the permanent exterior wall of the factory assembled structure and the surrounding grade level. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 832 § 6, 2008; Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.035 Life safety inspection—Older construction.
No factory assembled structures constructed prior to or in 1976 shall be sited or placed at any location within the city without first having completed and passed a safety inspection conducted by the State of Washington, Department of Labor and Industries. (Ord. 1006 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2020: Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 653 § 1, 1995).
18.08.040 Placement permits and fees.
(a) The owner or installer of a factory assembled structure must obtain a placement permit from the city clerk’s office before the factory assembled structure can be placed within the incorporated areas of the city. A dealer and/or individual may not deliver a factory assembled structure in the location site until he has verified that the owner or installer has obtained a placement permit from the city clerk. The city clerk shall issue the placement permit after it has determined that all applicable building, zoning and any other regulations adopted by the city have been complied with.
(b) The placement fee for each factory assembled structure shall be as is set forth in the city of Connell fee resolution. A double permit fee shall be charged if a mobile home is moved onto a site and/or setup has commenced prior to obtaining the placement permit.
(c) The placement permit shall be valid for a period of one hundred twenty days from the date of issuance and shall be issued for the location of a specific factory assembled structure on a specific lot of record or factory assembled structure space. Location of a different factory assembled structure in the same location or the same factory assembled structure in a different location shall cause the permit to become null and void and shall require a new placement permit and fee to be paid by the applicant.
(d) Failure to meet the conditions of the placement permit within the one-hundred-twenty day period shall require re-application. Such application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of fifty dollars; provided, that an extension of the original placement permit for a period of sixty days may be granted by the building official, or his designee, for good cause shown upon the request by the applicant prior to expiration of the original period.
(e) The application must be submitted by the owner or installer, and must provide the following information:
(1) The name, address and telephone number of the factory assembled structure’s owner;
(2) The manufacturer and dealer of the factory assembled structure to be installed;
(3) The factory assembled structure’s serial number to be installed;
(4) The name, address and telephone number of the installer and the installer’s factory assembled structure dealer’s license number or their Washington State contractor’s number;
(5) Foundation plans, when applicable, will be required;
(6) The address and location of the proposed factory assembled structure’s site;
(7) A plot plan showing the location and dimensions of the factory assembled structure and its proposed placement on the proposed site or lot, together with the location of existing buildings, structures, or improvements on the property and all recorded easements and floodplain information;
(8) The legal description of the lot of record and the assessor’s parcel number if the factory assembled structure is to be placed other than within a mobile home park;
(9) Water availability notification for potable water;
(10) A description of the drainage and preparation of the site if the factory assembled structure is to be placed in a location other than within a mobile home park;
(11) One of the following:
(A) A copy of the septic tank permit issued by the Benton-Franklin Health District, and a sketch of the location on a map; or
(B) Sewer availability notification.
(12) The access/approach permit issued by the Connell city clerk’s office;
(13) Factory inspection signoff may be required when applicable. (Ord. 1006 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2020: Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 856 § 1, 2009; Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.050 Inspection.
(a) The installer shall request an inspection for footing and foundations as required, after all aspects of the installation other than the installation of skirting have been completed. The building official will inspect the placement within forty-eight hours after receiving the request. If the inspection is not completed within the forty-eight-hour period, the tenant or owner may occupy the factory assembled structure at his or her own risk.
(b) Occupancy before inspection does not imply approval. The building official will certify the placement after it has been determined that all requirements of this section and other applicable regulations of Connell have been met. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.060 General installation requirements.
(a) All factory assembled structures shall be installed in compliance with the regulations stated in this chapter.
(b) A factory assembled structure may not be placed on a lot record occupied by another dwelling unit or use unless it is an approved mobile home park, as provided for in Chapter 16.48.
(c) A HUD labeled factory assembled structure shall be installed in compliance with the factory assembled structure manufacturer’s installation recommendations. These recommendations must be approved by HUD. The manufacturer shall send two copies of its approved installation recommendations to the purchaser of the factory assembled structure and made available at the time of inspection. A factory assembled structure not labeled by HUD should also be installed in accordance with installation recommendations provided by a professional engineer or architect licensed in Washington.
(d) No person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity may install a factory assembled structure unless they are the owners of the factory assembled structure, a licensed factory assembled structure dealer, or a contractor registered under Chapter 18.27 RCW.
(e) All water and sewer connections shall be installed according to the Uniform Plumbing Code and the requirements of the Connell public works department.
(f) Each factory assembled structure installed within any one-hundred-year floodplain, designated by the Corps of Engineers, shall be in compliance with Chapter 15.08.
(g) Each factory assembled structure placed on a permanent foundation or basement shall have all running gear, including axles, removed.
(h) Each factory assembled structure placed on a parcel of land outside of a designated mobile home park shall have the towing tongue removed.
(i) Steps or a handicapped ramp meeting applicable ADA standards shall be required for all exit doors and shall be a minimum of six inches on either side of the door and shall not exceed an eight-inch rise with a minimum nine-inch tread. More than three steps in height shall require two handrails which shall be thirty-four to thirty-eight inches above the nose of the step. Exception: Stairs and stairways that parallel the exterior wall of the factory assembled structure will require only one handrail on the open side of the stairway if the width is forty-four inches or less. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.070 Building site preparation.
A factory assembled structure may not be installed on any building site unless it has been determined that the ground has the load-bearing ability to meet the minimum requirements in WAC 296-150B-230. The installer, or, if the location site is in a mobile home park, the park owner, must ensure that the ground on which the factory assembled structure is to be placed has been improved as necessary to provide a proper base for the factory assembled structure and that the area beneath the factory assembled structure has adequate drainage to prevent collection of surface water. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.080 Footing system.
(a) Footings shall be constructed of:
(1) Solid concrete or an approved alternate that is at least three and one-half inches thick by sixteen inches square;
(2) Two eight-inch by sixteen-inch by four-inch solid concrete blocks that are laid with their joints parallel to the main frame member.
(b) Footings shall be:
(1) Evenly bedded and leveled;
(2) Placed on firm, undisturbed and compacted soil that is free of organic material;
(3) Centered in a line directly under the main frame members on both sides of the factory assembled structure; and
(4) Spaced not more than eight feet apart, and not more than two feet from the ends of the main frame. A closer spacing may be required depending on the load-bearing capacity of the soil.
(c) A factory assembled structure with more than one section must have center blocking at end walls and at any other point of connection of the sections of the factory assembled structure that are ridge beam bearing support. Blocking is also required at both ends of a door opening six feet or more in width in an exterior wall.
(d) If a factory assembled structure requires footings and a foundation on its exterior perimeter, the footings shall be installed a minimum of twenty-four inches below finish grade. Footings for the main frame longitudinal members must be recessed only if frost heave is likely to occur.
(e) Footings shall be constructed so that seventy-five percent of the area under the factory assembled structure has at least eighteen inches clearance between the bottom of the main chassis members and the ground level. The area beneath furnace crossovers and fireplaces, however, must always have at least eighteen inches clearance. At no point under the factory assembled structure may clearance be less than twelve inches. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.090 Foundation piers.
An installer must build and position piers and load-bearing supports or devices to distribute the required loads evenly. An installer may use manufactured piers or load-bearing supports or devices that are listed or approved for the intended use, or may build piers that comply with the following requirements. All blocks must be concrete.
(1) A pier may be made of a single stack of eight-inch by eight-inch by sixteen-inch blocks if the blocks are not stacked more than three blocks high. A pier made of a single stack of blocks shall be installed at a right angle to the main frame member and shall be capped with no more than two-inch by eight-inch by sixteen-inch concrete block.
(2) A pier may be made of a double stack of eight-inch by eight-inch by sixteen-inch blocks if the blocks are not stacked more than five blocks high. Each row of blocks in such a pier shall be stacked at right angles to the abutting fir, or spruce pine fir. The pier shall be capped with two-inch by eight-inch by sixteen-inch wood or concrete blocks. The pier shall be installed so that the joint between the cap blocks is at right angles to the main frame member.
(3) A pier may be made with more than five rows of blocks if the stacked blocks are filled with two thousand psi concrete or mortar. A licensed architect or professional engineer must approve a foundation system that includes a pier that is higher than seventy-two inches (nine blocks) high, or in which more than twenty percent of the piers exceed forty inches (five blocks) high.
(4) All blocks shall be set with the cores placed vertically. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.100 Skirting.
(a) A factory assembled structure shall have an approved skirting around its entire perimeter. The wood of the skirting shall be at least three inches from the ground, unless it is pressure treated wood. Metal fasteners shall be galvanized, stainless steel, or other corrosion-resistant materials. Ferrous metal members in contact with the earth, other than those that are galvanized or stainless steel, shall be coated with an asphaltic emulsion.
(b) A factory assembled structure that is installed on a non-recessed site and that has wood or metal skirting shall have ventilation openings with a net area of at least one and one-half square inches per lineal foot. A factory assembled structure that has been installed on a recessed site shall have ventilation openings in the foundation fascia with a net area of at least one and one-half square feet for each twenty-five lineal feet fascia. The openings shall be designed to provide cross ventilation on at least two approximately opposite sides of the factory assembled structure. The installer shall locate the openings as close to the corners of the factory assembled structures as practical and shall cover openings with corrosion-resistant wire mesh or louvers.
(c) Dryer vents and hot water tank pressure relief valves shall be exhausted on the exterior of the skirting. The skirting for each section of the factory assembled structure shall have an opening of at least eighteen inches by twenty-four inches with a cover of metal or pressure treated wood to allow access to the crawl space. The skirting must be installed within thirty days of the placement of the factory assembled structure. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.110 Anchoring system.
When deemed necessary, the building official shall have the authority to require anchoring systems, where the pier blocking height is considered to be a safety hazard to the occupants or where the wind velocities in the area are dangerous to the public health, safety and welfare. When anchoring systems are required they shall comply with WAC 296-150B-250. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995).
18.08.120 Nonconforming use.
Any factory assembled structure placed and maintained upon a lot of record or within a mobile home park prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, which complied with applicable adopted regulations when installed, may have such use continue without complying with the requirements of this section, provided such continued use is not dangerous to health, safety or life. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995. Formerly 18.08.140).
18.08.130 Relocation.
Any person who places or causes to be placed a factory assembled structure in accordance with this chapter, shall be required to submit notice to the city clerk of the city of Connell, the Franklin County auditor, assessor and treasurer upon the relocation of factory assembled structure. (Ord. 924 § 1 (part), 2012: Ord. 643 § 2 (part), 1995. Formerly 18.08.150).