KOAM TV 7 Joplin and PittsburgJoplin homeowners worry modular homes will lower property values

Hundreds of Joplin homeowners are unhappy about some new homes moving into their area.

In the past few weeks a few housing units have taken shape in the Cedar Ridge neighborhood.  Developer's are bringing in modular homes residents are worried about their property values.

"There's been some concern about the modular homes that are going in the Cedar Ridge area," says Jack Schaller, Assistant Public Works Director for the City of Joplin.  "Pursuant to our code, they're allowable housing structures to go in there."

The city approved a building permit in November for three modular homes.

Neighboring homeowners are not happy with the approval.

"If they did pass the codes for the city I think our city codes are too low," says Paul O. Mooney, a homeowner who will be living directly across the street from one of the modular homes.  "Looks more like the houses that you'd find in a low income district."

"We were devastated," says homeowner Harvey Hutchinson.  "Most of theses homes in here are far better than that if you can see the comparison."

The homes are produced by Clayton Homes Inc., a company out of Tennessee.

Clayton Homes Director of Marketing Carl Hill says studies have shown no evidence that the presence of modular homes would reduce the value of adjacent properties.

But the bigger issue here is many residents say these homes look like manufactured homes, only disguised as modular homes.

"They look like mobile homes," Mooney says.

So what is the difference between the two?

"The manufactured housing is more of what people think of as a mobile home, and the  modular houses are basically built up to our code and basically constructed off site and put together on site," says Schaller.

"They can change the name and call it something else, you know, a name's a rose is a rose, you know, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be a duck," says Hutchinson.

Again, the units do comply with city codes and unless planned city inspections prove otherwise building will continue.

City officials say inspectors will be going by the building sites to make sure everything remains in compliance with city codes.  If they find any violations construction will be halted.

Clayton Homes Inc. tells us there doesn't appear to be plans for anymore of the modular units to go up in that area as of now.