Building Activity Hits A Lull In Newtown

By Steve Bigham

The numbers coming out of the Building Department this week indicate that Newtown’s building boom may be slowing down.

In 1999, the department issued 197 permits – down from 1998 when the department issued 238. Also notable was the fact that of those 197 issued this past year, 124 came during the first six months of the year. According to Lisa Pollard, building administrator, only 73 permits were issued in the second half of the year, with a total of just 20 during the months of October, November and December.

June was the busiest months with 34 permits issued. May was a close second with 27.

Chief Building Inspector Tom Paternoster said there does appear to be a bit of lull, but added that only time will tell whether it’s just temporary phase.

“It’s hard to determine whether this is a seasonal thing, but there does appear to be a little slow down,” he said. “The word I’m getting from builders is a lot of the good lots are gone. The good building lots are scarce. At well over 200 a year for past 4-5 years that’s going to happen.”

Nevertheless, according to Mr Paternoster, most builders seem optimistic that the so-called boom will continue although interest rates and mortgage rates are up from a year ago.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said he was surprised to learn that building permits were down in 1999, but he wasn’t disappointed.

“A slow down in the construction of new homes would be beneficial right now,” he said.

According to the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Newtown’s population has risen to more than 24,500. It indicates a growth of about 1,000 new residents per year over the past 2-3 years.

The Building Department issues about 4,000 total building permits each year. That figure includes permits for electrical, heating, plumbing, roofing, commercial and residential renovations, decks, sheds, pools, oil tanks, additions, finished basements and new homes. New home permits represent about five percent of all permits issued each year.

In 1997, the Building Department issued 208 permits for new homes, 209 in 1996, 197 in 1995, 222 in 1994, 164 in 1993 and 127 in 1992. In 1991, at the height of the nation’s recession, just 61 building permits for new homes were issued.

Land Use Remains Busy

Land Use Agency Director Rita Macmillan said her office is busier than ever with 122 Planning & Zoning applications currently in the works and another 129 in the planning stages.

“They’re still coming down the pike. They may not all get approved, but they’re still coming,” she said. “We get everything first, then those applications that make it through move on to the Building Department.”

Town agencies will be busy in the coming months with the construction of the 250-unit Homesteads complex in Hawleyville.