By Lookout Staff

December 15, 2010 -- The City Council Tuesday night approved new funding to help residents of Santa Monica's oldest trailer park upgrade to new manufactured homes. The council also made it easier for motorists entering the city to find a parking space.

Both items were on a consent calendar that also included everything from adding an electrical room to City Hall to purchasing some $1.5 million in office supplies from Staples over the next five years.

The financing program for new manufactured homes at Mountain View Mobile Home Park will facilitate the purchase of a maximum of 54 new manufactured homes, not to exceed $9,222,500.

The Program includes three options for residents of the park -- deferred payment loan, lease-to-own and renting from the City, which bought the park ten years ago.

"These financing options are intended to address all of the existing household income levels at the property, which range from extremely-low income to moderate income," City officials said.

"The proposed Program allows for the possibility that homeownership may be feasible for very low income households in some instances," officials said.

The City completed improvements this year to meet federal standards, officials said. Of the 105 spaces, 20 housing units are City-owned and will be replaced with new, sustainable manufactured homes, while the 54 existing occupied resident-owned units are older mobile homes and travel trailers. Another 31 spaces are currently vacant but will be with mobile homes that meet current building and sustainability standards.

A separate item on the consent calendar, which was approved in its entirety by one unanimous vote, lays the groundwork for new dynamic message signs (DMS) that will display real-time parking information to motorists destined for Santa Monica beach parking lots.

"All signs will display clear and concise parking information at the entrance to each parking lot and at key gateways to the City," City staff said. "When central parking lots fill up, the signs will help to distribute traffic, increase the efficiency of existing parking resources, and reduce traffic congestion."

The project will occur within existing beach parking lots operated by the City of Santa Monica or immediately adjacent to the parking lot entrances on property owned and maintained by the City of Santa Monica.

Smaller signs similar to the existing signs in front of the downtown parking garages will be installed at the entrance to five beach lots and the pier deck.

Large signs capable of displaying multiple lines of text and graphics will be placed at strategic locations near City entrances directing motorists away from the freeway to the nearest available parking facilities.