SAN MARCOS — The City Council has adopted its second and final extension of a moratorium prohibiting the conversion of senior mobile home parks into all-ages communities, while continuing to develop a zoning ordinance that will protect these parks in the long term.
San Marcos first adopted a 45-day moratorium via an urgency ordinance in December 2024, following concerns that Lakeview Mobile Estates, a senior park for individuals aged 55 and older located off Discovery Street, might be converted into an all-ages park without proper notice.
The council agreed in January to extend the moratorium through the end of November. With that expiration date now fast approaching, the council agreed on Tuesday to extend the moratorium one final time, this time for a year.
During the moratorium, the city has been working on developing an ordinance that would establish an overlay zone to preserve the city’s senior mobile home parks, which are defined as parks where at least 80% of the spaces are occupied by individuals 55 years of age or older.
“This is something I definitely think is very important. This is the second extension, and we will be seeing this again,” said Mayor Rebecca Jones.
In September, San Marcos leaders held a workshop with members of the San Marcos Mobilehome Residents Association to discuss a potential overlay ordinance.
A draft ordinance proposed adding an overlay zone that would apply to seven of the city’s 12 senior mobile home parks, omitting resident-owned parks. The seven rental parks include El Dorado Mobilehome Park, Lakeview Mobile Estates, Palomar Estates East, Palomar Estates West, Rancho Vallecitos Mobile Estates, San Marcos Mobile Estates, and Valle Verde Estates.
The proposed ordinance language states that the overlay zone would “preserve a variety and balance of housing types” in the city, and provide assurance that existing and future senior mobile home parks will remain available to seniors.
Draft language also states that spaces and mobile homes in overlay districts shall be rented only to occupants age 55 and older, except residents who do not meet senior requirements but were already residing in the park at the time the ordinance is adopted.
Additionally, the proposed senior occupancy rule would only require at least one occupant of the home to be at least 55 years old. The owner of the unit, if different from the occupying resident, would not need to be 55 or older.
Lastly, the proposed language would require each park owner within the overlay zone to certify each year that it qualifies as a senior mobile home park.
A final proposal still needs to be presented, and staff are continuing to research various aspects of the draft ordinance. This includes researching the unique vulnerabilities faced by mobile home space renters, as well as examining the current litigation surrounding these issues.
“We are hoping that in the interim, there may be some case law that comes, gets finalized, that will provide some direction in terms of what can and cannot be done,” said City Attorney Helen Peak.
Several residents of senior mobile home parks have spoken out in support of the moratorium and the effort to establish designated zones where this type of housing can be reserved for seniors.
The Coast News has reached out to the San Marcos Mobilehome Residents Association for a comment on the extension.
