City sees rise in residential building permits

Post-recession recovery is evident in 2013 construction numbers

By Ed Nadolski

Editor in Chief

After five relatively sluggish years, residential building permits are on the rise again in 2013, according to City of Burlington Building Inspector Pat Scherrer.

“It’s picking up this year,” he said. “There has definitely been an uptick.”

Scherrer said he currently has 13 active or proposed residential building projects under review by his office.

And it’s not quite August yet, so there could be more, he added.

The pace of single-family and duplex projects this year is well above the slow pace established during the economic slowdown of 2009-2012 when only the city averaged just five permits per year.

That is a far cry from the average of nearly 20 per year that were issued during the period from 2003 to 2008, Sherrer said.

All of the construction so far this year has or will take place in three newer subdivisions: The Glen at Stonegate, between Teut Road and Highway 36 on the city’s north side; Fox River Landing, on the former Murphy Farm property along Highway W; and Springbrook Landing, the retro-look subdivision just off Highway 83 on the city’s south side.

Scherrer said the total of 13 permits breaks down to six in Fox River Landing, four in The Glen at Stonegate, and three in Springbrook Landing.

Joe Busch, a real estate broker and president of Bear Realty’s Burlington office, said his office recently sold seven residential lots in Fox River Landing to a builder who has plans to market home and lot packages there.

He said the rebound in the home-building market is likely a side effect of improving consumer confidence.

Here is a look at the number of residential building permits issued by the City of Burlington in the past 10 years:

2003 – 23

2004 – 19

2005 – 16

2006 – 21

2007 – 14

2008 – 13

2009 – 8

2010 – 6

2011 – 3

2012 – 7