The Death of Mulkeys

For years Waste Management (WM), Texas-based corporate owner of Riverbend Landfill, has been telling Yamhill County that it will evict Mulkeys RV Park and its tenants as part of its commitment to expand the landfill.  Mulkeys, located on land WM owns adjacent to Riverbend, is supposed to be a transient RV stop but has instead been home for years to people with mobile homes but no land of their own.

Mulkeys has, in fact, been one of Yamhill County's most successful affordable housing projects, providing permanent, inexpensive housing for individuals and families alike.

Nevertheless, WM's master plan for the dump includes putting equipment for construction and operations on the site where Mulkeys sits.  That master plan, of course, is currently in the hands of the courts and may be there a good long while.  A decision by the state Land Use Board of Appeals is expected on June 24, but observers widely believe that the losing side will appeal to the Court of Appeals.  That will mean WM will have to wait several more months before it will know whether it can or cannot expand--or whether the County must once again consider the matter.

But even with all this uncertainty, last month WM finally made good on its promise to kick Mulkeys out.  Long-term residents were stunned.  The timing couldn't be worse, they said.  Even if they could afford to move, local RV parks are already filling up fast for summer.  And it's not certain that residents could remain even if WM rescinded its eviction notice, a move called for by the Yamhill Valley News-Register:  According to that paper, Jackie Lane, Mulkeys' manager, was one of the first to depart.

WM's cold-heartedness should not come as a surprise to the County or its Board of Commissioners.  County resident Marilyn Walster told the Board to expect this move, and the harsh consequences to Mulkeys' residents, back in December 2014, just before the County voted to approve a dump expansion that would throw seventy families out of their homes.  Her December 21, 2014, letter follows:

Dear Planning Commissioners and Staff:

I am writing to ask that Yamhill County Planning Commission deny Waste Management’s application for expansion. 

This letter addresses the issue of Mulkey’s RV Park, sited west of the dump, and the displacement of the people who call it home. 

Riverbend’s expansion application makes no mention of the fact that there are real people, with real families, and real children who live permanently at Mulkey’s RV Park.  This is not just a place for “overnighters” to park their recreational vehicles.

Mulkey’s RV Park has 85 sites available for RV hook-ups.  Seventy of those sites are held for long-term residents.  Mulkey’s accepts trailers, 5^th wheels and park models (a more permanent dwelling not easily moved). Mulkey’s RV Park is home to many Yamhill County families.  Lots of little kids stand out in front of Mulkey’s to catch the bus on school days.  Yet Riverbend’s expansion application does not address the displacement of these families in any way.  In fact, the Farm Impacts Analysis part of the expansion application refers to Mulkey’s as a “former RV park”, as if these families do not exist.

Mulkey’s major customer base is permanent residents, not recreational overnighters. Residents enhance and personalize their spaces with flower planters and yard décor. In some cases, metal awnings have been erected for additional protection of homes.

The management requires a background check on long-term applicants.  They complete an extensive application, and if accepted, there is a 90 day probationary period.  Terms of rental are carefully spelled out for the safety and well-being of all residents, including the limiting of guests to 14 days per year at no additional charge.  The monthly space rental is $350 plus electricity.  It is rare to have such affordable housing with the features of Mulkey RV Park for county residents.

The Riverbend Landfill expansion application does not address the destruction of 70 sites that provide affordable long-term housing for Yamhill County families. Many of the residents do not have the financial means to move their units, especially the park models, even if they could find other affordable space. Waste Management’s application ignores these devastating impacts. The ramifications of closing Mulkey RV Park need to be considered in this decision.  Yamhill County needs safe, affordable places for low-income families to live.

Riverbend likes to talk about how they contribute to the economy with 15-20 full time jobs provided to people who live in Hillsboro, West Linn, Portland, and Vancouver. (Very few Riverbend employees actually live in Yamhill County)  There’s another side to this economic coin that they refuse to talk about: the creation of more homeless families here in Yamhill County because of the closure of Mulkey’s.

I sincerely hope the Planning Commission will deny the Riverbend Landfill expansion.  However, if you believe it is in the county’s best interest to approve the application, please require that Waste Management recognize the existence of Mulkey’s residents by assisting them (financially if need be) in their search for permanent affordable housing.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Walster