BACLIFF — Construction on the county’s first Hurricane Ike mobile-home park could begin as early as next week, FEMA officials said Tuesday.
If things go smoothly, the first few units should be in place by Feb. 1.
Also on Tuesday, officials revealed the federal government would pay $12,270 a month to lease the 64 acres that will serve as the temporary home site for up to 209 individuals or families displaced by Hurricane Ike. In its agreement with landowner Max Teer, FEMA has agreed to lease the property through Dec. 7, 2010 at a rate of $147,240 a year.
Under its agreement with the county, however, the mobile home park can only operate through April 2010.
The agency is finalizing construction plans with the contractor that will build a controversial site near Bayshore Drive, Federal Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Bettina Hutchings said.
Officials said they doubted demand for housing at the site would be much more than the 48 units already approved.
All residents of the mobile home park, thus far, are from the immediate Bacliff/San Leon and Dickinson communities, Hutchings said.
Residents of the neighboring Chase Park subdivision, have opposed the project. In particular, they objected to the temporary homes to be used to house hurricane victims from Galveston.
Meanwhile, county road crews will soon begin widening 10th Street, which is an access road at the back of Chase Park but also allows access to the mobile home park, which sits behind the Edgewater subdivision.
County Commissioner Pat Doyle said the road would be widened and drainage in the area improved. FEMA has agreed to pick up some of the tab for the roadwork, Hutchings said.
