Company looks into establishing a 'man camp' in South Heart
Things are beginning to look up for Alvin Galster Jr. since oil companies have been moving their employees into his mobile home and RV parks in South Heart.
Things are beginning to look up for Alvin Galster Jr. since oil companies have been moving their employees into his mobile home and RV parks in South Heart.
His RV park is full and Arctic Catering, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska is interested in moving a ‘man camp’ into his mobile home park.
“I’m pleased that these inquiries started coming in because it’s been a tough 10 years for me,” Galster said.
Until recently, only the four mobile homes owned by Galster were in Prairie Vista Mobile Home Park, which can hold 24 homes.
Bill Campbell, Arctic Catering supervisor for the area, said plans aren’t definite, but the company is interested in moving an 18 bed, nine bedroom mobile housing unit, or ‘man camp’ into the park.
“We’re just looking for possible sites and we’re lining up clients, so nothing is concrete here,” Campbell said.
Approval for the complex is on the agenda for South Heart City Council’s meeting Monday evening at 7 p.m.
Lori Wagner, city councilwoman, said her biggest concern over mobile homes moving into the park is they are up to city specifications.
“In our ordinance we have limitations on the type of homes that can come in,” Wagner said. “They have to meet certain age requirements, they have to meet certain structural requirements, they have to go through our building inspector.”
She was unsure whether the type of housing Campbell is interested in moving would meet requirements, but expected to learn more at Monday’s meeting.
Campbell said if Arctic Catering moves into the mobile home park, they would likely move in five trailers which are set side-by-side and connected, forming one large housing unit.
Tenants of the complex would vary, but it would house about 16 people and two staff to cater to the tenants, Campbell said.
“We supply them with the comforts of home,” Campbell said. “They have cable TV, internet, we have housekeepers and they have hot meals,” Campbell said.
He added rules are strictly enforced on the complexes.
“There’s no drinking, there’s no drugs, there’s no smoking inside,” Campbell said. “We don’t allow people run around and raise Cain and make noise. We’re good neighbors and anybody who doesn’t go by the rules gets kicked out.”
Arctic Catering doesn’t normally have issues with tenants, since they normally use the complexes primarily for eating and sleeping.
“They’re working 12 hours a day minimum,” Campbell said.
Pat Praus, who also owns an RV park in South Heart, is on Monday’s city council agenda as well. He wants to find out if it’s possible to move a man camp into his park, should a company show interest.
Within the last two months, the money the RV and mobile home courts generated has allowed him to invest more into the existing mobile homes in the court.
“I haven’t had enough income to do a lot of the maintenance that I should be doing,” Galster said. “Just recently on three of the mobile homes that I’ve had I was finally able to afford to replace skirting and put in new windows, put in better appliances and I’ve painted a couple of houses.”
They look nicer tenants are happier, and he feels his prayers have been answered with new tenants moving in.
“I’ve been blessed,” Galster said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Tags: man camp, south heart, news, oil
More from around the web
RSS Feeds