February 10, 2023 |
Low-income residents and first-time home buyers in Rawlins may have new housing options available if a plan for “micro” homes is approved.
At Tuesday’s city council workshop, Community Development Director Lou Lascano presented an idea for building small, 600-700 square foot homes next to Green Acres Mobile Home Park. Lascano said Shik Han, a consultant from Moab, Utah, wants to use the plot of county owned land for the project. Lascano said the houses would be built to modern standards.
Han and his business partner Jeff Smith purchased property on Bonanza Street for a factory to build the tiny homes. Han said he plans to start small with one building and expand as demand increases.
Han is eyeing county owned land for his micro home development. The city would need to annex the property before work could begin. Lascano said the city had unsuccessfully tried to take ownership of the land in the past.
Han’s design plan shows a tightly packed neighborhood with houses priced in the $200,000 range.
Han said he would like to offer some of the homes for rent but ideally, they would all be purchased by young adults or retirees. He said people could use one of his micro houses as an investment for the future.
Han said he’ll offer a single floor plan with optional additions. He wants to create a sense of community while encouraging residents to simplify their lives and spend as much time outside as possible.
Title 19 of municipal code dictates 15,000 square feet as the minimum lot space permitted for a single-family home. The city must amend the ordinance to accommodate the houses being built closer together. Lascano said he will use examples from other municipalities to draft a new ordinance.
Han told the Rawlins City Council he plans to have all of the homes completed before the end of this year. After which, he will begin exporting the structures across the country. He said he chose to build his factory in Rawlins specifically because I-80 would make transportation easier.
City council members said they liked the idea. Before any real work could begin on the project, however, the land would need to be taken from the county, and city zoning ordinances amended.
