City of Arlington MH: Manufactured Housing (Obsolete) Zoning Guide
The MH: Manufactured Housing district in the City of Arlington is a residential designation that has been classified as "obsolete" and is no longer available for new zoning amendment requests. For existing properties currently zoned as MH, the City of Arlington Unified Development Code mandates that they are governed by the development standards and land use regulations of the previous Arlington Zoning Code, specifically Section 9-400.
Status and Applicability of the MH District
The City of Arlington Unified Development Code transitioned the MH district to an obsolete status upon the adoption of the current code. While existing MH districts remain on the official City of Arlington Zoning Map, they serve as a legacy category for previously established manufactured home developments.
| Category | Status/Requirement |
|---|---|
| District Status | Obsolete; proposed for deletion in transitional provisions [Table 1.6-1] |
| New Zoning Requests | Prohibited; may not be requested for a zoning amendment [Section 2.2.10] |
| Governing Regulations | Previous Arlington Zoning Code Section 9-400 [Section 2.2.10] |
Allowed Uses and Purpose
According to the City of Arlington Unified Development Code, the MH district was originally created to provide appropriate locations for manufactured home living. The document identifies the following as the primary intended uses for areas within this designation:
- Manufactured Home Accommodations: Specifically designed for the placement of HUD-Code manufactured homes [Section 2.2.10].
- Manufactured Home Parks: Unified developments of manufactured home sites, plots, or stands under single ownership [Section 12.3.4].
- Manufactured Home Courts: Areas designated for the specific purpose of providing manufactured home living spaces [Section 2.2.10].
- Manufactured Home Subdivisions: Unified developments where sites are platted and may be sold to individual owners of manufactured homes [Section 12.3.4].
Prohibited Uses
Under the City of Arlington Unified Development Code, certain activities and uses are explicitly prohibited in relation to manufactured housing or within the MH district framework:
- New District Establishment: The City of Arlington prohibits the creation of any new MH districts through the zoning amendment process [Section 2.2.10].
- Short-Term Rentals: It is unlawful to operate a short-term rental in a HUD-Code Manufactured Home or Mobile Home within the City of Arlington [Section 3.4.5].
- Specific Exclusions: The definition of "Dwelling, Single-Family Detached" explicitly excludes mobile homes and manufactured homes, meaning these structures cannot be used to satisfy requirements for single-family detached residential use in other districts [Section 12.3.1].
Technical Standards for Manufactured Homes
While the land use table in the current City of Arlington Unified Development Code does not include a column for the MH district, the Code does provide specific technical standards for the structures themselves and associated parking requirements.
Parking Requirements
All manufactured homes in the City of Arlington must meet the following off-street parking standards:
| Use Type | Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| HUD-Code Manufactured Home / Mobile Home | 2 spaces per dwelling unit [Table 5.4-1] |
Definition Standards
For a structure to be considered a manufactured home under the City of Arlington Unified Development Code, it must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a structure defined by and subject to the requirements of the Texas Manufactured Housing Standards Act [Section 12.3.1].
- Must be constructed after June 15, 1976, to be considered a "HUD-Code Manufactured Home" rather than a "Mobile Home" [Article 12].
Sections Cited
- Section 1.6.8 (Transition to New Zone Districts)
- Section 2.2.10 (Manufactured Housing | MH (Obsolete))
- Section 3.4.5 (Short Term Rental Supplemental Temporary Use Standards)
- Section 5.4.3 (Off-Street Parking Standards)
- Section 12.3.1 (Residential Use Definitions)
- Section 12.3.4 (Industrial and Transportation Use Definitions - Parks/Subdivisions)
- Table 1.6-1 (Zoning District Transitions)
- Table 5.4-1 (Off-Street Parking Schedule A)