A record number of building permits were issued in Minto in 2017, as a building boom continues in the northern portion of Wellington County.
Although December numbers were down from the previous year, chief building official Terry Kuipers said “We finished up the year really well,” in his report at the Jan. 9 council meeting.
The building department issued seven permits for construction valued at about $1.1 million in December. In December of 2016 the department issued 12 permits for construction worth $4.3 million.
However a record was also set in terms of total construction value for 2017, with construction worth about $28.8 million undertaken last year. In 2016, the town issued 205 permits for construction valued at about $21.3 million.
The 2018 construction value figure, Kuipers noted, was well over the 10-year average of about $18 million. The CBO pointed out the building boom wasn’t confined to any one particular sector.
Permits were issued for 29 single family dwellings at 10 multi-residential units, with a combined construction value of more than $14 million.
“That is 59 new residential units for Minto which is the highest we’ve ever done,” said Kuipers, noting that 23 of the units were in Palmerston, 14 in Clifford, 12 in Harriston and 10 in rural areas of Minto.
The town issued 17 industrial permits in 2017, which includes seven new industrial buildings, three in Palmerston, three in Harriston and one in a rural location. The total value of industrial construction was just under $5.2 million.
The town also issued 34 permits for agricultural construction, which included four new barns and nine barn additions for a total of 144,000 square feet of livestock space, said Kuipers. Value of agricultural construction in Minto in 2017 was about $4.8 million.
Kuipers is projecting another strong year for construction in 2018.
“We’ve going to see a bunch of new builds in our two residential subdivisions in Palmerston,” said Kuipers.
“The agriculture sector looks strong. I’m getting lots of inquiries about new facilities … so from the looks of it it’s going to be a good year again,” he stated.
Councillor David Turton pointed out recent heavy building activity extends beyond Minto.
“From what I understand all three of the north Wellington municipalities are booming,” Turton commented.
“Everyone is feeling the same thing,” said Kuipers.
