One of the owners who recently purchased Tropical Gardens Mobile Home Park, tucked into the city’s Eastside, is James Knapp, a member of The Koto Group, which has a stake in Santa Barbara real estate, including in Isla Vista. According to state and county records, Knapp and others purchased the mobile home park last month from Don Donaldson for $5.8 million, eliciting fears among tenants that the new owners would develop the affordable trailer park, where about 50 units go for $1,000 a month. A spokesperson for the newly created Tropical Gardens Santa Barbara LLC said the owners are all local and do not intend to make immediate changes.
