In an effort to preserve a segment of affordable senior housing, the Carnation City Council has moved to temporarily add restrictions on land zoned for residential mobile home parks.

The six-month change was adopted as a protection for residents living at the Carnation Haven Mobile Home Park, a 55-and-older community in northeastern Carnation. The park has recently been put on the market, the city said.

Fearing what the sale could mean for the future of the park, its residents met with the city in early October. City officials acted swiftly to protect the park, noting it serves a vulnerable population of residents who may otherwise be unable to afford housing costs within the city.

“The mobile home park is privately owned, but there are legislative steps the city council has taken to protect its use,” city spokesperson Ashlyn Farnworth said.

The city council voted unanimously to add temporary language to the city’s municipal code that restricts permitted uses in residential mobile home park zones to specify they are used for mobile homes with primary occupants who are 55 and older.

Carnation City Manager Ana Cortez said the change was designed to protect the park while giving the city time to react, calling it a bridge to a more permanent solution.

“We are treating this as an emergency,” she said, noting the market has already attracted some interested buyers.

According to King County property records, the park was valued at $2.9 million in 2023.

A message sent to the park’s listed owner was not returned.

This story was updated from how it appears in print.