Orange County Begins a Search for New Mobile Home Park Location Due to Homestead Mobile Home Park Residents Displacement

Orange County was informed earlier this month that residents of Homestead Mobile Park may soon be displaced.

Since then, the county and jurisdictions in the county have formed a Mobile Home Park Work Group and a Rapid Response Team.

Orange County housing and community development director Sherrill Hampton updated the county Board of Commissioners at last week’s meeting on what the work group and response team are doing to help residents living in the park relocate.

“[The park] is a very small one, about nine spaces, it is off of NC 86 right near Allen and Son Barbeque,” said Hampton.

Although residents received a letter from the park owner stating that they need to vacate, commission chair Mark Dorosin says he believes no eviction notices have been given.

“The developer is being very cooperative at this point. The developer hasn’t submitted anything yet to the town, any kind of plan or any preliminary anything,” said Dorosin.

A meeting was held on Saturday, February 17, at New Hope Camp and Conference Center with the residents of the park.

“We will have a translator, services available, we want to do that individual survey with these residents to hear their input, gather their comments and find out what their needs are,” said Hampton.

Hampton says Chapel Hill is currently examining town-owned and other potential relocation sites.

Although potential relocation sites have not been identified by the town, a property off Millhouse Road was discussed at the meeting as a possible site.

The work group and rapid response team will meet again on March 16 to debrief on their findings, and then write a proposal, including applicable cost, for the county manager by March 23.

Homestead mobile park is not the only mobile home park in Chapel Hill with residents at risk of being displaced.

Last month, Texas-based developer Hanover Co. proposed on behalf of the current landowners to redevelop Lakeview Mobile Home Park located on Weaver Dairy Road beginning next year.