The number of building permits issued by the city’s community development department sharply decreased compared to 2017 and 2016 according to a report released from the department.
The decrease brings the number in line with 2014 and 2015. According to Laura Leigh, director of community development for the city, the decrease is due to work repairing citywide damage from a hail storm in 2016 being completed. According to the report, 380 permits were issued throughout 2018, compared to 906 permits in 2017 and 1,163 in 2016. Those two years also resulted in an upshot in the amount of fees collected by the city. During 2016, the city collected $153,993 in permit fees and $149,352 in 2017. In 2018, the city reported collecting $64,367 in fees.
With the decrease in permits, the amount of construction valuation reported in 2018 is also lower than previous years. Construction valuation based on new construction only, not home or building renovations. In 2016, the city reported a construction valuation of $20.3 million and $18.2 million in 2017, while it reported only $6.6 million in 2018. Leigh said commercial construction drove the valuation figures in 2016 and 2017, citing locations like the new Birch Family Dentistry building as having higher valuations than residential construction.
The 2016 and 2017 years also represent a major increase over the historical averages seen in the number of permits issued.
City records dating back to 1981 show the number of permits issued by the city rarely surpass 400 a year, with 2006 and 2007 being the only years outside of 2016 and 2017 where it occurred.
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