The purpose of this chapter is to provide rules
for the licensing, construction and operation of manufactured housing
communities in order to protect the health and safety of the occupants
of those communities and of the public in the Town of Williamstown.
This chapter is adopted under the authority
of MGL c. 140, § 32B, and c. 111, § 31, and any
other power thereto enabling.
In this chapter, the following terms have the
meanings indicated.
APPENDAGE
Includes any awning, deck or other addition attached to a
manufactured home and any shed, structure or other combination of
materials upon a manufactured home site necessitating piling, footings
or a foundation for attachment to the land.
BOARD
The Williamstown Board of Health or its designated representative.
DWELLING UNIT
The room or group of rooms in a manufactured home used or
intended for use by a single family or household.
LICENSEE
An operator who holds a current manufactured housing community
license from the Williamstown Board of Health under MGL c. 140, § 32B.
MANUFACTURED HOME
A structure, built in conformance with the National Manufactured
Home Construction and Safety Standards, which is transportable in
one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is eight body
feet or more in width or 40 body feet or more in length or which,
when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet and which is built
on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling unit,
with or without a permanent foundation, when connected to the required
utilities and includes plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical
systems contained therein.
MANUFACTURED HOME SITE (LOT)
A parcel of land within a manufactured housing community
on which a manufactured home, its appendages and appurtenances are
or may be located and over which a tenant has possessory or other
rights or interests.
MANUFACTURED HOUSING COMMUNITY
Any lot or tract of land upon which three or more manufactured
homes occupied for dwelling purposes are located, including any buildings,
structures, fixtures and equipment used in connection with manufactured
homes.
OPERATOR
A person who directly or indirectly owns, conducts, controls,
manages or operates any manufactured housing community and his, her
or its agents or employees.
PERSON
Every individual, partnership, corporation, including a municipal
corporation, firm, trust, association or the agent or agents of any
of them, including lessee, and licensee carrying on an activity governed
by this chapter.
The Board of Health may, in its discretion,
waive compliance with a particular requirement of this chapter when,
in its opinion:
A. The enforcement of the regulation would do manifest
injustice; and
B. The applicant has proved that the same degree of protection
of the public health, safety and welfare can be achieved without strict
application of the particular provision. Any alternative means of
protection shall be detailed and documented by the applicant to the
satisfaction of the Board of Health.
[Amended 10-7-2019]
Whoever, himself or by his servant or agent or as the servant or agent of any other person or firm or corporation, violates any of the provisions of this chapter is subject to a fine as stated in Chapter
146, Local Fines, of the Code of the Town of Williamstown. Each day of violation, after written notice, is a separate violation.
If a court determines that any provision of
this chapter is invalid or unenforceable, the other provisions shall
not be affected thereby, but shall continue in full force and effect.
As of the effective date of this chapter, all
prior Williamstown Board of Health Regulations (including those adopted
by the Board of Selectmen acting as a Board of Health) pertaining
to trailer parks, mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities
are repealed.
The effective date of this chapter is January
4, 1999.