MIDLAND, Texas — A 50-acre lot off Fairgrounds Road was approved for a specific use permit for a mobile home park on July 9 during Midland's city council meeting.
The request passed with a 5-1 vote.
The land is set to be developed by Stongegate Manufactured Housing Community owner Chase Gardaphe.
"We're really excited to be opening up another manufactured housing community directly across the street from our current one," said Gardaphe.
Gardaphe says the new property is twice the size of the current Stonegate community which currently features 171 lots occupied by a variety of manufactured home trailers.
The new development could provide up to 600 lots depending on how it is filled with single wide trailers, double wide trailers, or tiny homes.
The current Stonegate community and the new development are located in Midland's council district 2 represented by John Love III, who approves of what Gardaphe has developed in the past.
"It looks good, it's aesthetically pleasing and I think he will do a good job with this new addition," said Councilman Love.
Love also expressed frustration within his district for a lack of grocery suppliers dubbing his district a "food desert," but the councilman hopes this new addition will be another step in the right direction.
"We need more citizens to live in District 2, retail follows rooftops so the more people that we have the greater chances we'll be able to get grocery stores in District 2," said Love.
Councilman Michael Trost was the only official to vote against the request.
"I'm thinking that this is not visually and aesthetically what we should have north and south for the future," said Councilman Trost.
Councilman Trost expressed that he'd rather see high quality apartments developed along the growing thoroughfare.
"If we're gonna build, build apartments. We have already proved that, if you notice there are some really nice areas that have already been constructed, so that's what I would like to see," said Trost.
Meanwhile Gardaphe stands by the quality of his previous development and says his communities empower those who live there.
"Manufactured home communities provide ownership opportunities, it provides them an opportunity to actually own their home rather than just renting," said Gardaphe.