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Triple-wide tribulation

Mobile home renters and owners in southern Pinellas sit on land that makes developers salivate.

By SHARON L. BOND
Published September 25, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Barbara Trepanier moved out of Gandy Mobile Home Park last year and into the nearby AL-DA-KY Trailer Haven. She spent $13,000 on improvements to her double-wide to bring it up to code. She even added a carport.

But she is not settled. In fact, she is worried she might have to move again.

Trepanier, 68, left Gandy Mobile Home Park because it was sold to a developer. The land now is a construction site for townhomes.

AL-DA-KY, at 5222 Fourth St. N, also may be sold.

"We are all devastated," Trepanier said. "I'm not the only one to move over here from Gandy and be told this was not going to be sold."

Royce Hobby is one member of the partnership that has owned AL-DA-KY since 1984. He said the group was approached by Ashton Tampa Residential LLC and is in negotiations with the company to sell the park. He would not disclose the sales price.

The partnership paid more than $2-million for AL-DA-KY, which was built in the late 1940s. Its name comes from the first two letters of the last names of the three families that founded it.

"I know they are buying it as a mobile home park," said Hobby, adding that the site would have to be rezoned for townhomes or condominiums. "There is no consideration for rezoning."

Hobby said that if the sale falls through, AL-DA-KY will remain a mobile home park.

It is one of at least 10 mobile home parks in south Pinellas County that have been sold or are in the process of being sold in the past three years. Some with water views are being redeveloped into high-end residences. Even those away from the water, like Gandy Mobile Home Park, are seen as prime redevelopment targets because there are few large tracts of undeveloped land left.

Many parks are home to veterans, seniors on fixed incomes and others who have trouble finding affordable housing when they are displaced.

Here is a look at what has happened in the parks.

HARBOR LIGHTS MOBILE HOME PARK, 9191 Bay Pines Blvd., Seminole, with 313 mobile homes.

John Loder of Sun Vista Development Group offered to pay $45-million for the park in May. He plans 400 residences there, including townhomes, single-family homes and luxury condominiums.

Residents were notified last week that the closing date had been delayed until November after Loder made a revised offer of $47-million.

PARSLEY'S BY THE GULF MOBILE HOME PARK, 17715 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores.

It had more than 300 mobile homes when Sun Vista Development Group took an interest in it in mid 2003. Loder paid $28.5-million for the park and is building a $150-million gated condo and housing development there. Some of the mobile homes were taken to Punta Gorda last year for people who lost their homes to Hurricane Charley.

COLONY MOBILE HOME PARK, 7901 40th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, with 123 mobile homes.

Wal-Mart tried to buy this resident-owned park, beginning in 2003, for $8-million. It wanted to use the land as a parking lot for a nearby Wal-Mart the company hoped to enlarge into a supercenter. Park owners agreed to sell, but renters mounted opposition. Wal-Mart withdrew the offer when it could not get the needed permits for the supercenter.

RIVIERA MOBILE HOME PARK, 10401 Snug Harbor Road, St. Petersburg, with 255 mobile homes.

This park remains in limbo after an apparent sale last year for $12-million. Residents sued because they were not given a chance to buy the park, which they said they had the right to do. The suit remains in appellate court, according to Maggie Smith, a member of the board of the homeowners association. Meanwhile, residents don't know what will happen to them, Smith said. An official with List Development, the buyer, said this year the company planned to keep Riviera a mobile home park. That List spokesman was not available for comment on this story.

GOLDEN LANTERN MOBILE HOME PARK, 7950 Park Blvd., unincorporated Pinellas County, between Seminole and Pinellas Park, with 178 mobile homes.

Residents thought they had ended an attempt to raze the park for a townhome development. But after Pinellas County turned down a rezoning request, one of the landowners resubmitted plans with fewer units.

The rezoning request is being processed again by the county. The first public hearing on it will be Dec. 20, said Paul Cassel, director of development review services for Pinellas County.

ROYAL PALM MOBILE HOME PARK, 10111 Gandy Blvd., St. Petersburg, with 60 mobile homes and a duplex.

The owner, Mainstream Partners III LLC, asked to be annexed into St. Petersburg, which was done in June.

Plans call for conversion to a ministorage and warehouse facility.

Mainstream Partners was unavailable for comment.

LAKEVIEW MOBILE HOME PARK, 118 Linda Drive, unincorporated Pinellas County near the edge of Seminole, with 55 mobile homes.

Redington Shores Mayor J.J. Beyrouti bought the park in April for $2.2-million. Beyrouti said at the time it was an investment for him. But his wife, Linda Nichols, filed a request for a zoning change with Pinellas County. Beyrouti said this month that Richard A. Robertson has a conditional contract to buy the property.

BAY PINES MOBILE HOME PARK, 10005 46th Ave. N, Seminole, with 500 mobile homes.

The homeowners association started efforts to buy the park this year so residents, many of whom are veterans, won't face relocation as other parks' residents have.

Association president Leo Plenski said their last offer of $20-million was turned down by the law firm representing the owners. He said he has asked for a meeting with the firm.

Residents of this park also are lobbying the Florida Legislature for right of first refusal for residents of parks that end up for sale.

[Last modified September 25, 2005, 02:15:40]