The Fairburn City Council got

a crash course Monday night on the differences between industrial, modular

and mobile housing. After a presentation highlighting the advantages of

the prefabricated structures, an amendment to the existing zoning ordinance

passed unanimously and allows the industrial housing to be built in the

city. Clearer guidelines as to which buildings could be constructed in

which zones helped give the go ahead to Fairfield Custom Homes and similar

businesses.

Industrialized housing uses

preconstructed sections which are shipped to the building sites on a flatbed

truck and pieced together to make a completed home. The houses are constructed

on top of a regular foundation, but generally have better building standards

than the usual on site constructed homes. John Fields of Fairfield Custom

Homes was on hand with photographic examples of the quality homes created

with this method.

"They are superior to

mobile homes and they meet or exceed all building codes standards,"

Fields said.

The new definition of modular

buildings restricts the structure to non-residential use as primarily

an education facility for pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. As for

mobile homes, they will now only be allowed in AG-1 and AG-2, agricultural

zoning provided they meet a list of several standards set down in the

rewritten ordinance.

Before the motion passed new

Councilman Ron Alderman had several questions about building materials,

inspection codes, plumbing hookups and warranty coverage. Once Fields

answered Alderman's questions to his satisfaction, the new councilman

was in support of the amendment change.

Fields also explained he had

built some of the structures in neighboring cities, and met their exacting

zoning standards.