Agricultural construction continues to drive local building numbers

by Patrick Raftis

MAPLETON - Local building activity continued strong through the first quarter of 2017.

On April 11 chief building official Patty Wright reported to council that there were 32 building permits issued in March for construction valued at $5,559,500, generating permit fees of $48,885 for the month. Those numbers are up substantially from March 2016, when 25 permits were issued for construction valued at $2,788,662, generating fees of $16,375.

Year to date, the building department has issued 62 permits for construction worth about $9.3 million, compared to 59 permits for construction valued at just under $5.8 million in 2016. So far in 2017, the township has collected $88,880 in permit fees, compared to $45,730 to the same point in 2016.

Agricultural construction continues to drive the numbers, with 17 permits issued in March for agricultural buildings worth about $3.8 million.

Year to date, permits have been issued for about $$6.8 million worth of agricultural construction.

Permits were issued for three single family dwellings worth about $961,000 in March, bringing the year-to-date total to four permits for construction valued at $1,361,000.

“We’ve had a pretty good March,” said chief building official Patty Wright.

Wright also noted the March building activity numbers “well exceed the five-year average,” while year-to-date numbers are also above average for that period.

April 21, 2017