WILMINGTON — Plans have once again been submitted to the City of Wilmington for the redevelopment of a mobile home park located on Hooker Road. After a unanimous vote by the city’s Planning Commission in January to deny the rezoning of the property located at 321 Hooker Road to allow for the development of 106 townhomes, property owners are now requesting a less-dense development.
Related: Planning staff opposes 106-unit townhome development near Bradley Creek
According to plans, the developer would like to take the 69-unit mobile home park and utilize the property for 86 single-family cluster homes; the rezoning would change the property from R-15 to R-5.
Mobile home parks have been disappearing in the city limits for several years now as land scarcity becomes an increasing issue. According to the application, the current use of mobile home parks has been associated with code enforcement issues as well as criminal activity.
In January, one of the concerns city staff cited in their recommended denial of the application was the fact the area is a food desert.
While mobile homes are a form of affordable housing, the developer still plans on constructing homes that are affordable for Wilmington’s workforce.
When asked why the city should justify the application the developer claims a need for workforce housing and said, “Even at somewhat moderate incomes, many public sector employees and service providers, including police officers, firefighters, and those working in the tourism and hospitality industries find themselves priced out of the housing market. Without an adequate base of workforce housing, Wilmington’s employers will experience a shortage of potential workers in important segments of the economy.”
The city’s Planning Commission will decide on the application at its upcoming April 3 meeting.
