PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 28, NO. 4
JAN. 24, 2014
Hold on mobile home park rent increase could be tossed out By Promise Yee
Cal Fire firefighters battle a fire in Valley Center in November 2013. Photo by Anthony Carrasco, courtesy of Cal Fire
Cal Fire bolsters personnel to handle drought By Rachel Stine
REGION — The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) is maintaining a greater number of on duty firefighters statewide, including in San Diego County, to handle the unusually high fire danger accompanying the
state’s drought conditions this winter. The state has experienced record low rainfall over the past year and weather forecasts reveal continuing dry weather. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed an emergency drought declaration. Recently, San Diego
Winter’s Swell
County has sustained Santa Ana winds, prompting red flag warnings, and low humidity rather than burgeoning rainfall. Normally during this time of year, fire risks reduce with the rain. But current weather conditions have extended “fire season” indefinitely as vegeta-
tion becomes drier and more susceptible to catching fire. Cal Fire has already responded to 154 wildfires, which burned 598 acres, from Jan. 1 through Jan. 11. On average during this time of year, Cal Fire TURN TO FIRE ON A19
In Encinitas, a surfer pulls into the barrel on Tuesday. A series of strong northwest swells kept wave heights in the 5-to-7 foot range throughout the work week, and an even bigger swell is due to hit Friday into Saturday. Photo by Jared Whitlock
OCEANSIDE — The good news that El Camino 76 Mobile Estates mobile home owners heard in July is expected to be affirmed Feb. 7, when a judge will decide whether to uphold the commission decision for no rent increase on park spaces. The Manufactured Homes Fair Practices Commission voted 3-2 in July to grant no rent increase to the mobile home park owner, who requested an increase of $148.56 a month per space. The 80-space, all-ages mobile home park is described as being in average condition and of average quality. The applicant claims he was not receiving a fair return on investment and proposed a $148.56 a month increase be collected through a $37.42 permanent rent increase, $102.11 capital improvement increase for five years, $4.65 street and pool restoration increase for 10 years, and $4.35 club-
house and workshop roof restoration increase for 20 years. The park owner also request $120,000 for fees and costs incurred in preparing the application. The most recent rent adjustment for the park was a permissive space rent adjustment of 1.20 percent that was granted in 2013. The adjustment raised monthly rents from $410.97 to $439.22. For the pending case both the city and park owner hired Member of the Appraisal Institute, or MAI, appraisers to look into whether the owner was receiving a reasonable return on investment. Each side came to a different conclusion. The city determined net operating costs at $207,704 and used a 40 percent index adjustment of net operating income at 15.3 percent to determine a monthly TURN TO MOBILE HOME ON A23
Spaces in El Camino 76 Mobile Estates are priced at $410.97 a month. The city showed the owner receives a positive cash flow return of $280 per space per month. The park owner claims he is not receiving a fair return on investment. Photo by Promise Yee