Wilsonville puts its heart in proposal

Wilsonville puts its heart in proposal: "Wilsonville puts its heart in proposal
Wednesday, October 12, 2005

K eep your eyes on Wilsonville if you want to see a city grapple with a cutting-edge ordinance. Depending on how the City Council handles it, the ordinance could break ground for cities across Oregon or plunge Wilsonville into a protracted legal battle.

Maybe both at once.

This summer, the 400-some residents of the Thunderbird Mobile Club got the word that the aging mobile home park was for sale, with an eye toward upscale redevelopment. The residents, many of whom are elderly and on fixed incomes, found themselves holding the short end of the stick. Because few parks will accept mobile homes more than 10 years old, the announcement immediately made many of the approximately 250 mobile homes on the 60-acre park practically worthless.

Besides, where would the residents go?

The dilemma was apparent to city officials, who didn't want to sit on their hands and watch a potentially ugly drama unfold.

'If there was a lesson in Hurricane Katrina for us all, it was that communities have to exercise some responsibility for their fragile populations,' said Mayor Charlotte Lehan. 'The residents of Thunderbird Mobile Club are fragile both socially and physically. Even if it were physically possible and financially possible for them to move, the stress on them could be potentially life-threatening.'

City officials hit the books and went to work. A few weeks ago, City Attorney Mike Kohlhoff unveiled a proposed ordinance with a unique approach.

'The ordinance is written to address the situation as a social issue -- not land use,' Kohlhoff said. 'In fact, the title says it is 'relating to mitigating public health and welfare impacts of forced evictions associated with closure of mobile home parks.' '

Eugene has a similar ordinance, though it came at the issue from a different angle. As"