Sonja Benevistas batted .500 in the Tyrrell commissioners meeting on Jan. 14.

She succeeded in persuading the governing board to add fiber cement panels to the list of allowable manufactured home underpinning materials.

But the commissioners denied her request to have electrical service turned on before the underpinning is installed on her mobile home on Raccoon Road.

Benevistas asked in December that the Residential Foundation Ordinance of 2004, as amended in 2008, be amended further to authorize use of fiber cement panels as skirting for manufactured homes.

The commissioners scheduled a public hearing for Jan. 14 on the amendment question. During that hearing, Benevistas introduced Doug Clemmer and Lee Whitley with Blevins Inc. of Rocky Mount, who touted and displayed a sample of the fiber cement product.

On motion by Commissioner Davis, the vote was unanimous to amend the ordinance to authorize non-wicker fiber cement panels as manufactured home skirting. Wood framing specifications were spelled out to assure skirting will withstand high winds and flood waters.

The ordinance originally required manufactured homes to be underpinned with continuous masonry or vinyl skirting. In 2008 metal or treated T1-11 plywood skirting were added. All other residential structures must be on continuous brick, block or stone foundation.

Benevistas’ request for a “one-time waiver” of the county inspection approval sequence was denied. The ordinance provides that underpinning must be in place before the county building inspector can authorize the power company to turn on electrical service to a manufactured home.

Benevistas said she wanted to install outside lighting immediately to discourage vandals and thieves.

The vote on her request failed 2-3, with Commissioners Nina Griswell and Lawrence Swain voting aye and Commissioners Jordan Davis and Carl Willis voting no. Chairman Tommy Everett broke the tie and defeated the measure with his negative vote.

The Subdivision Ordinance gives the planning board limited discretion to grant hardship waivers, but no such authority is granted the commissioners in the Residential Foundation Ordinance.