CASA GRANDE, AZ – Casa Grande City Council has approved an ordinance allowing manufactured homes in specific single-family residential (R-1) neighborhoods – zones that are intended to be strictly residential in character with low-density housing and minimal disturbance from traffic or overcrowding. The measure passed 6-1 at a recent council meeting and reinstates a policy that existed before 1999, but with new design requirements aimed at ensuring manufactured homes match the character of existing single-family neighborhoods. Currently, manufactured homes are typically restricted to R-4 zones, which are specifically designated for mobile home residential development at medium densities, but this change will create special overlay zones where they can be placed on individually owned lots in certain R-1 areas, subject to strict approval processes and design standards.
The change creates two overlay zones where manufactured homes will be permitted with a conditional use permit (CUP) – a special approval process requiring public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and notification to neighboring property owners. These zones are bounded by McMurray Boulevard, Cottonwood Lane, Schultz Road alignment, and Pinal Avenue, and between Doan Street, Florence Boulevard, Trekell Road, and Pueblo Drive. Unlike R-4 zones, which are designed to promote affordable housing through medium-density mobile home communities, these overlay areas within R-1 zones will maintain their low-density, single-family character while allowing for manufactured homes that meet specific design criteria.
Councilmember Robert Huddleston cast the sole dissenting vote, expressing concerns about property maintenance and neighborhood compatibility. While acknowledging that he loves manufactured homes in controlled park settings with rented spaces, Huddleston worried about individually owned lots. “I think it’s a can of worms,” he said, suggesting it could lead to “people in an established neighborhood complaining about what comes in across the street from them.”
However, several council members spoke in favor of the change. Councilmember Lisa Navarro Fitzgibbons supported the proposal, particularly the ownership aspect. “I like the idea that they would own their lot because they would own the land that it’s on,” she said, adding that the design standards and case-by-case approval process would help ensure neighborhood compatibility. Mayor Craig McFarland noted that modern manufactured homes are built to HUD requirements and are “actually just like a stick-built home” – referring to traditional houses built on-site piece by piece. McFarland added that the change “gives us an opportunity to do a little more infill especially in a couple of our communities here in town.”
Senior Planner Jaclyn Sarnowski explained that the conditional use permit process provides significant oversight for each new manufactured home. The process requires public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission, where each application is evaluated based on specific criteria, including neighborhood compatibility. “Each manufactured home would be on a case-by-case basis,” Sarnowski explained, noting that the commission can consider factors such as the surrounding architectural styles and ensure new homes match the character of existing neighborhoods.
Before any manufactured homes can be placed in the overlay zones, property owners must obtain a conditional use permit through a public hearing process. Each application will need to meet strict design requirements, including pitched roofs, front porches, and compatible exterior materials. Additionally, homes must be manufactured within the last five years and set on foundations meeting International Residential Code standards. Residents in affected neighborhoods can expect to receive notifications of public hearings when individual permit applications come before the Planning and Zoning Commission, giving them an opportunity to provide input on proposed manufactured home placements in their area.
