Agenda Item A.4
CONSENT CALENDAR
Meeting Date: March 3, 2026
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Peter T. Imhof, Director of Planning and Environmental Review
PREPARED BY: Lucy Graham, Senior Housing Analyst
SUBJECT: Report on Interim Urgency Ordinance: Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay and Moratorium on Conversion to All-Ages Park
RECOMMENDATION:
A. Receive, file, and issue a report on Urgency Ordinance No. 26-02U, entitled “An Urgency Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California Adding Chapter
17.22 to the Goleta Municipal Code to Establish a Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay District and Moratorium Prohibiting the Conversion of Senior Mobile Home Parks to All-Ages Parks, Finding the Ordinance Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, and Declaring the Urgency Thereof” (Interim Urgency Ordinance).
B. Direct staff to return to Council with an extension of Urgency Ordinance No. 26-02U prior to its expiration.
BACKGROUND:
Historically, mobile home parks have been an important source of affordable housing.
University Mobilehome Park (Park) is one of five mobile home parks in the City and, as the only known park with residency restricted to seniors (ages 55 and older, or “55+”), is a unique source of unsubsidized affordable housing dedicated to seniors in the City. The Park was recently sold, and soon thereafter the park manager mailed to park residents a proposed change from a seniors aged 55+ mobile home park to a mobile home park for all ages.
To address situations similar to what is occurring in Goleta, several jurisdictions throughout the State have considered or undertaken actions to minimize adverse impacts on residents of mobile home parks, particularly senior residents, who may have limited fixed incomes and few affordable housing alternatives available. On February 17, 2026, the City Council adopted an Interim Urgency Ordinance establishing a Senior Mobile 1 Meeting Date: March 3, 2026
Home Park Overlay District and moratorium prohibiting the conversion of Senior Mobile Home Parks to All-ages Mobile Home Parks, for a limited term of 45 days unless extended, while staff conducts research into appropriate zoning or other regulations.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 65858, the Interim Urgency Ordinance will expire on April 3, 2026, 45 days after it was adopted. However, Section 65858(a) allows the City to extend the moratorium for 10 months and 15 days if the City needs additional t ime to study and adopt regulatory and zoning standards for Senior Mobile Home Parks.
Government Code Section 65858(d) requires that the City Council issue a written report at least 10 days prior to the expiration or extension of the Interim Urgency Ordinance. The written report must describe the measures taken to alleviate the conditions which led to the adoption of the Interim Urgency Ordinance. This staff report serves as the required report.
DISCUSSION:
The loss of a Senior Mobile Home Park presents a current and immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare by reducing the available affordable housing options in the City for residents aged 55 years and older. The measures that have been taken to date , to begin to alleviate the conditions resulting in the February 17, 2026 Interim U rgency Ordinance adoption, are as follows:
1) The Planning and Environmental Review Department is in the process of updating a GIS -based database on overlay districts and mobile home parks to assist in determining the locations of affected areas in the City. 2) In coordination with the City Attorney’s office, the Planning and Environmental Review Department has created an age -verification process to ensure Senior Mobile Home Park compliance, consistent with the Interim Urgency Ordinance. 3) Staff has continued research on potential ordinance amendments and regulations related to the Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay.
In addition, Planning and Environmental Review Department staff ha ve identified the following actions to be taken to further alleviate the conditions which necessitated the February 17, 2026 adoption of the Interim Urgency Ordinance:
1) Continue to research the suitability and effectiveness of the overlay and other tools, such as rezones, for the preservation, protection, and prevention of the redevelopment of mobile home parks or housing stock for senior citizens. 2) Continue researching or dinance language for the proposed establishment of a permanent Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay.
3) Continue researching current zoning regulations to determine whether existing mobile home parks should be changed to a Mobile Home Park (MHP) zoning designation, if not currently zoned MHP.
GOLETA STRATEGIC PLAN:
2 Meeting Date: March 3, 2026
City-Wide Initiative: 4 Support Economic Vitality
Strategic Goal: 4.7 Support organizations, programs, and policies that facilitate affordable housing for the Goleta workforce
ENVIRONMENTAL:
This Interim Urgency Ordinance report is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) (California Public Resources Code § 21000 et seq.), pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs.) Section 15301, which categorically exempts activities involving negligible or no expansion of use of existing facilities, and Section 15061(b)(3), which applies where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. This Interim Urgency Ordinance report merely allows the City to continue to explore zoning and regulatory updates as it relates to the seniors -only status for mobile home parks within the City. This Interim Urgency Ordinance report does not directly or indirectly authorize or approve any actual changes to the physical environment.
Accordingly, this Interim Urgency Ordinance report is exempt from CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
No fiscal impacts are anticipated from the issuance of the report required by Government Code Section 65858(d).
ALTERNATIVES:
Council is required by Government Code Section 65858(d) to issue a report on the actions taken at least 10 days prior to the expiration or extension of an interim urgency ordinance.
However, Council could choose not to direct staff to return with an extension of Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 26-02U.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Isaac Rosen, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
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