Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Mobile home tenants along Snohomish River told to go

FEMA threatens to pull county's flood insurance if residents stay

By Noah Haglund
Herald Writer

 MONROE -- People who live in Three Rivers Mobile Park face the threat of flooding from the Snohomish River winter after winter, but many say they stay because they have no place else to go.

Now, they may not have a choice.

Snohomish County gave the park's owner an Aug. 31 deadline to remove all mobile homes and motor homes. About 100 people live at the park near Monroe.

Many residents aren't sure how they will comply, even if they wanted to; it costs money to move a trailer, or even to tear one down. Some tenants don't have the cash to pay up-front costs for an apartment. Others fear no landlord would rent to them because of their dogs and other pets.

"Basically, they're putting people between a rock and a hard place," said Jerry Jones, 37, a tile-layer who has lived in the park about four years. "For them just to come in and say everybody's gotta go … It's really unfair."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is forcing the county to make changes at the park. FEMA told the county to get the buildings and vehicles out of the flood plain or it could pull insurance coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program from the entire county. That would affect 1,892 people with about $365.8 million in coverage, according to county figures.

The park's owner said he told the tenants not to worry about the county's deadline.

"It's at an early stage right now, and it's hard to know what's going to happen," said Bob Carey, who has owned the property for a dozen years. "It's going to be a big legal battle and a big fight."

Most of the people at the park on Elliott Road live in older mobile homes or recreational vehicles. For years, county officials have grappled with what to do with the park; it's always been known as a flood-prone area, but it's a precious source of low-income housing. Two years ago, the County Council exempted recreational vehicles at Three Rivers from having to leave during flood season, Oct. 1 through March 30.

There are 68 lots in all, about half for mobile homes and half for RVs. Lots rent for $395 and up a month.

The issue came up earlier this month when the county accused Carey and the residents of violating several flood-hazard regulations.

One of the violations was making repairs that cost more than 50 percent of a home's value, which angers residents.

Garret Wood, 43, said floodwaters came up to her windowsill in January and forced her family to leave for eight weeks. Her husband replaced sheetrock, flooring and insulation throughout the home.

"Why didn't they tell us before we put the money into the place?" she asked. "We put $10,000 into the place and the last assessed value was $4,700."

Authorities also claim there are problems with recreational vehicles that are inoperable, unlicensed or have problems with prohibited permanent additions such as decks, stoves and wheelchair ramps.

FEMA says the violations put people at risk because the park sits in the floodway, a part of the flood plain close to the river with fast and free-flowing water.

It boils down to a public-safety issue, said Mark Carey, a regional mitigation director for FEMA in Washington and other Northwestern states.

Wood and many of her neighbors don't feel threatened. The water comes in slow, "like a bathtub filling," she said, giving them enough time to escape.

"We've always known at least two days ahead," she said. "I've never been in harm's way in the 20 years I've lived here."

If the county doesn't make changes, FEMA is threatening to suspend the federal flood insurance program. While some companies provide flood insurance, FEMA officials maintain that their policies are more affordable, with an average annual premium of about $550 for a properly elevated structure in Washington.

"A total and complete suspension for the county would be catastrophic," FEMA's Carey said.

Ishbel Dickens, a Seattle-based attorney with nonprofit Columbia Legal Services, has been a longtime advocate of mobile-home owners. Normally, when a park is closing down, residents get 12 months' notice. This situation could be different because of safety concerns, but it still puts the park's residents in a bad spot.

"I've seen individual homes cited for not meeting code, but it's very unusual for a whole community to be cited in this way," she said. "The biggest issue is that a lot of these people will lose their home, their largest asset, and they'll never be homeowners again."

Gus Pedersen, 57, is the park's manager and has lived there about 13 years. He appreciates the sense of community. He doesn't want to live anywhere else.

"These people are my people. I've been down here so long, I know everybody," he said. "I don't understand why they pick on us."

County officials said they are working on a relocation plan, but did not have details on Monday.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA