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News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 11.27.08 edition.
Relief for trailer park
By Marshall Smith, Correspondent
Residents of the Idyllwild Trailer Park
received a last minute Thanksgiving reprieve from Riverside County’s
Code Enforcement (CE) Department.
On Oct. 22, CE officers went through the park, home to many elderly,
fixed-income residents, citing about 45 out of 58 homes for code
violations, primarily “unpermitted construction.”
The original notices, delivered to the park’s new owners, La Cumbre
Management Company of Auburn, required residents to correct violations
by November 22. “Failure to comply by this date may result in the
issuance of an administrative citation with fines up to $500 per day
for each violation,” read the notice. “At the conclusion of this case
you will receive a summary of administrative costs associated with the
processing of such violations at an hourly rate of $109, as determined
by the Board of Supervisors.”
The park is distinguished by the many owner add-ons over the years that
have converted the park’s appearance from a standard trailer park to a
more mountain cabin Idyllwild ambience. And since technically these
homes are “mobile,” building permits had not typically been required or
issued for these additions.
Because the park had been left to develop as it has, the massive
citations surprised, angered and frightened residents, many of whom
could not afford the cost of compliance, not to mention the deadlines
within which they were asked to comply.
Concerted questioning from residents to CE officials resulted in a
one-year extension for compliance.
Ron Murray, park association president, received an e-mail from Wayne
Durant, CE inspection officer, stating, “Per our telephone conversation
this morning, the county is granting the park owners one year to comply
with the requirements for the construction changes to the park models.
It is understandable under the circumstances that extra time is needed
in order to resolve the issues that exist. Thank you for your telephone
call.”
Although the reprieve must be welcome to residents, questions remain as
to why county CE got involved at this time, and more importantly, what
happens if residents are unable personally, physically or financially
to cope with the major construction changes they are being asked to
complete.
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