The city of Santa Maria will consider whether to create a new planning zone, just for senior mobile home parks. The city’s planning commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to send the zoning change to the Santa Maria City Council for final approval.
The ordinance would create a new overlay zone, encompassing the five senior mobile home parks that are scattered across the city.
Gary Hall, a retiree living at the Rancho Buena Vista Mobile Estates, spoke in favor of the ordinance at Wednesday’s meeting.
“Senior mobile home parks need to be preserved in Santa Maria, since they remain one of the few affordable housing options still available to seniors,” Hall said.
Other public commenters spoke about concerns over noise and safety if their parks were to open to younger residents and families.
“Increased noise is one issue,” said Cindy Pope, who lives at the mobile home park Casa del Rio.
“A greater concern is children unexpectedly running into the street, where seniors with slower reaction times may not be able to respond quickly enough,” Pope added.
In 2024, the Del Cielo Mobile Home Park in Orcutt sued Santa Barbara County over its ordinance that blocked the park from converting to all-ages.
If the overlay zone is enacted in Santa Maria, a mobile home park would need approval from the city to change its senior-living status.
