About a dozen 91原创 mobile home park residents staged a protest at 91原创 Township hall Monday night, against changes they believe could lead to their wholesale eviction.
The demonstrators, who all live in the 160-home Forest Green Estates park at 9080 198 St., carried picket signs that read 鈥渘o to rezoning our seniors park,鈥� 鈥渟ave our little piece of paradise,鈥� 鈥渟eniors before progress鈥� and 鈥渨here will we go?鈥�
Spokesman Bill MacDonald said the residents were alarmed to learn council recently gave preliminary approval to a change in the official community plan (OCP) that could make it easier to redevelop the property and force them out.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 notify us,鈥� MacDonald told The Times.
The protest continued inside with the picketers joining about 100 other residents of the mobile home park who packed council chambers for the evening public hearing on the proposed new OCP.
Among the many changes in the updated plan is a proposal that would alter the designation of the Forest Green Estates park from its current category of 鈥渋ndustrial鈥� to 鈥渦rban.鈥�
The residents fear the change will make it much easier to redevelop the 55-and-over gated park, currently zoned for mobile homes, into condominiums.
About 20 of the residents spoke in opposition to the OCP change at the hearing.
Their remarks were at times emotional, with some paying tribute to the park as a well-maintained and attractive gated community while others predicted many residents will be unable to find reasonably priced alternatives if the park is redeveloped.
鈥淲e have no place else to go,鈥� said resident Marilyn Garrity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 making us very, very nervous,鈥� resident Stuart Davidson said.
Another resident, Wynn Mahoney, said the prospect of a potential rezoning is making it harder for her and other residents to sell their houses.
鈥淭here is now a cloud over it,鈥� Mahoney said.
Both Township staff and council members said there is nothing in the community plan that would change the allowable use of the Forest Green Estates site right away.
If the owner of the mobile home park wants to redevelop it for condominiums, they would have to apply for permission from the Township, they said. 鈥淣othing is changing the zoning [right now],鈥� said Ramin Seifi, the general manager of engineering and community development.
鈥淣obody here is going to wipe you out,鈥� Councillor Charlie Fox said.
At the close of the Monday night public hearing, Mayor Jack Froese said the Township will arrange an information meeting for the park residents and council members before the hearing resumes on July 22.
