Baldwin City Council members heard a request at its monthly work session meeting on Thursday, May 8, to place a modular home on property located at 250 King Street.
Lynn Canup came before the council seeking a special use permit to allow her to place a modular home on the property to replace the current residence her mother, Betty Lewallen, lives in.
Canup said due to her mother’s health, the home needs to be handicap accessible and her current home is very small and needs a lot of work.
“The house is so small there is not enough room to do the work to make it handicap accessible,” she said. “My nephew lives with her now to help look after her and home health comes to help out.”
Canup said she has looked at a 1,000-square-foot home to place on the property. The property is currently zoned R-2 in the city.
Acting Mayor Ray Holcomb said, “Are you asking for this in a hardship case? Would you be willing to move this home when something happens to your mother?”
Canup said, “If that is what we need to do then that is what we will do.”
Canup said the modular home could be set up on a crawl space with a home-type foundation.
“The home will go to my nephew upon the passing of my mother,” Canup said. “I want him to have a place to live after my mother’s passing.”
Holcomb said a special use permit does allow for a Class A manufactured home.
Holcomb said, “If you are applying for a hardship case that is a little different than a special use permit.”
City attorney David Syfan said, “A hardship case would be a temporary permit as opposed to a special use permit.”
Baldwin resident Mike Kelly spoke to the council and Canup on this matter. Kelly said Canup should check with the modular home company to get them to get a guaranty bond that would state when something happens to her mother the company would move the modular home out.
“This would cover the family and the city both,” Kelly said.
Council member Robert Bohannon asked Canup if she had a price for someone to add on to the home and do some remodeling. Canup said she did not because she knew the house would need a lot of work.
The council suggested that Canup get someone to give her a price for the remodeling charge, compare this to the price of the modular home and come back to the council on this issue.
