It once was that items related to building — especially residences — were staples of every local government entity’s agenda.
But since the economy turned sour — largely in the wake of the high risk mortgage market collapse — building activity has ground to a halt. Many municipalities have not had a subdivision to review or even building permits for new homes to grant in many, many months.
Yet of late, I have heard some stirrings at recent municipal meetings:
Last week, in Randall, building inspector David Sturdevant reported that he had issued two building permits for new homes last month. before that it had been 21 months since the last new home was permitted in Randall. “What I see is there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel,’ said Sturdevant, who hasn’t even attended several Town Board meetings of late to the lack of building activity. “I really see by spring it breaking …”
This week, the Wheatland Town Board acted on final plats for two residential developments at a special meeting held to make sure the town’s opinion got to the county Land Use Committee on time for next week’s meeting. There are 39 developable lots between the two proposals. One request was for a one-year extension of a final plat already granted. The other was for a new final plat approval. Why now? The developer of one of the developments, Kenneth Koch said it came down to seeing through a project he= started four or five years ago when times were better. Now he’ll be ready to go, he said, when property starts to sell again.
