WILLIAMSTOWN -- The owner of The Spruces Mobile Home Park has been ordered by the Board of Health to immediately renew its manufactured housing community license.
According to a Jan. 3 letter addressed to Robert Morgan of Morgan Management and signed by Williamstown Health Agent Jeffrey C. Kennedy, the management of The Spruces failed to submit the required application, fee and attendant information for the renewal of its annual license to operate the park.
"You are hereby notified that as of Jan. 1, 2012, you are in violation of the above referenced [state manufactured housing community regulation], and are ordered to immediately comply with renewing your license to operate a manufactured housing community," the letter stated.
The letter further stated that Morgan Management could request a hearing about the order before the Board of Health.
If Morgan Management doesn't comply with the order, it may face additional violation notices and fines, according to state law.
"I think for the present time, we can assume this was an administrative oversight in the chaos of the situation," Town Manager Peter L. Fohlin said at the Selectmen's meeting Monday night.
For about the past four months, the town has been dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, which caused The Spruces to flood on Aug. 28, 2011.
Fohlin said Monday night that 60 homes in the park had been approved for occupancy, and four
Currently, town officials aren't aware of anyone else who wishes to reoccupy a home in the park, he said.
"It would appear as though 64 homes may be the end of the road at this point. That is out of the 225 original units," he said.
In other business, Fohlin -- at the request of Selectmen Chairman Thomas E. Sheldon -- spoke about the condition of the town's police station and his proposal to move that project forward.
"We have all recognized for a number of years ... that our police station is not up to current law enforcement standards," Fohlin said.
He had planned to propose initial work on a new police station last year, but with the David and Joyce Milne Public Library gearing up for an expansion, he didn't think it was a good idea, he said.
"That turned out to be what the architect thought a $7 million project, and the Library Trustees decided to take a second look at it," he said. "I think we can build a police station for half the price the architect though the library addition would cost."
Fohlin said he has proposed a line item of $143,000 in the fiscal 2013 budget to pay for architectural and engineering services for the initial design of a new police station.
To reach Meghan Foley, email
mfoley@thetranscript.com
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