Mobile Home Standards

These two cases are treated differently by the Glastonbury Landowners Association Architectural Committee (GLA Architectural Committee).

1.1 Review and Approval
Installation plans as well as all exterior mobile home and site improvements such as roofs, siding, garages, carports, terraces and patios, room additions, storage sheds, etc. shall be subject to the prior review and approval by the GLA before any installation or site preparation can commence.

1.2 Architectural and Design Standards
The following standards are intended to protect and maintain the quality and planned living environment of the Community:

A) General: Mobile homes shall: 1) be no older than 10 years old, 2) be a minimum width of 24 feet, 3) have pitch shingled roof 4) have wood siding or simulated wood siding 5) have a foundation that includes stripped footing and 6) be recessed into the ground.

B) Occupation: Mobile homes moving into Glastonbury after the adoption of these Standards that require upgrading to comply with these Standards shall not be occupied until all installation and upgrades bringing the mobile home into compliance are completed.

C) Roofs: Mobile homes must have or be retrofitted with pitched roofs. The minimum roof pitch for mobile homes is 3:12. Roofing material must be Grade A or B shingle roofing material.

D) Roof Overhang: Each mobile home without a minimum roof overhang of 8 inches must either be retrofitted with such overhangs or be fitted with an attached garage, covered carport, covered terrace or patio, rain gutters at least 5″ in width and/or other additions in order to extend the pitched roof line and remove the box-like appearance of many conventional mobile homes.

E) Exterior Materials: Mobile homes must have or be retrofitted with wood, high quality imitation natural materials such as vinyl siding or composition wood, stucco, rock or high quality imitation rock, or paneled exteriors or facades to create the appearance of a conventional home.
F) Foundations: Mobile homes in the Community are to be installed on a permanent foundation of a well constructed recessed pad, with buried utilities per Section 1.4 of these Standards.

G) Skirting: Mobile home skirting must be covered by earth backfill or a finish per Section 1.4 C of these Standards. A well-designed decking that hides the skirting can take the place of earth backfill or finished appearance.

1.3 Temporary Mobile Home or Travel Trailer Use
A “Temporary Mobile Home or Travel Trailer Use Waiver” may be requested by a landowner from the GLA Architectural Committee to allow the temporary installation of a mobile home on their land while their permanent home is in the building process. At the time of review of the installation plans and prior to moving the mobile unit into the Community, the applicant must provide the GLA Architectural Committee with a written statement that the unit is to be used only as a temporary living quarters while he is in the process of building a permanent home on the parcel and that it will be removed from the Community within one year of the date of the original moving of the mobile unit into Glastonbury or within one month of completion of the permanent home, whichever comes first. The Temporary Mobile Home or Travel Trailer Use Waiver shall be for no longer than one year unless an extension is granted by the GLA Board.

A Temporary Mobile Home or Travel Trailer Use Waiver shall only be considered by the GLA Architectural Committee if the applicant is also submitting acceptable plans for the permanent home to be constructed, including an anticipated schedule of construction. Placement of the temporary mobile unit is contingent upon approval of the building plans and schedule of construction. It is recommended that the site utilities be designed and developed for the permanent home and that the mobile home be temporarily connected to those systems.

Travel trailers and RVs may not be used as permanent dwelling units. Upon approval by the GLA Architectural Committee, the Landowner of record may use a travel trailer or RV to reside in for vacation purposes (maximum of 90 days per year) provided it is connected to a water and septic system or is self-contained. Long term parking of travel trailers and RVs must be screened from sight of community roads by such means as landscaping or a garage or parked unobtrusively by the Landowner’s house. Guests of Landowners may temporarily, for a period not to exceed 60 days, use travel trailers or RVs for vacation purposes without applying to the GLA for permission or a variance provided the vehicle is in the immediate vicinity of the host Landowner’s home.

Temporary office trailers may be used at building sites for construction purposes on the site.

1.4 Installation Specifications
A) Pad Construction: A typical recessed mobile home pad is illustrated in Figure 1.1. The mobile home pad shall be located on stable soil which has a soil bearing capacity of not less than 1500 pounds per square foot and shall be free from organic material such as weed and grasses. Topsoil should be removed from pad site and stockpiled prior to excavation and back filling.

The finished interior floor elevation of the mobile home shall be between 8 and 16 inches above the highest exterior finish grade. Cut and fill slopes where required should have a minimum rise to run ratio of 1:2.5.
Fill material for the pad should consist of gravel, sand and binder in a proportion to ensure maximum compaction and stability. The recommended method is to place moderately damp fill material in even layers not more than 6 inches thick. Compact to 90% maximum density with proper compaction equipment before the next layer is placed. Fill and existing ground must be free from ice, frost, and frozen or muddy materials.

A foundation consisting of concrete strip footings constructed to the dimensions and configuration specified by the mobile home manufacturer is strongly recommended. Where a gravel pad is used, the surface of the prepared pad should consist of not less than a 2-inch layer of 1 inch minus crushed gravel and should be level to within 1/2%.

B) Utilities: All utility and fuel lines shall be installed per Section 6.03 of the Covenants. In addition, all water lines should be buried at a minimum of 6 feet to prevent freezing. Water and sewer connections shall be made below the mobile home inside of the perimeter of the recessed skirting. Heat taping and insulation of the exposed water piping beneath the mobile home is necessary for winter usage and prevention of frozen pipes. LP gas connections must be made outside of the mobile home rather than underneath in order to avoid the possible accumulation of gas in the crawl space. A two-stage regulator is recommended: one at the tank and one at the exterior of the home.

C) Backfill: Material for backfilling should be free from rocks and cobbles larger than 6 inches and compacted in 12 inch layers. Surfaces should be mounded slightly to compensate for settlement. The finished grades should provide a 5% slope away from the mobile home to allow for drainage.

1.1.5 Further Specifications and Variances
The GLA is authorized and directed to establish and publish additional specifications and standards for the installation of mobile homes in the Community of Glastonbury, including any requirements which it deems are necessary for reasons of safety, appearance and the well-being of the Community and its residents, and in order to reasonably enforce the above provisions and the Covenants.

The GLA is authorized to consider and grant variances to these standards, specifications or rules wherever, in its discretion, it believes the same to be necessary and appropriate and where such variance will not be injurious to the rest of the Community.