Building activity down in 2016

While down substantially from an extremely busy 2015, building activity in the township last year was solid based on five-year averages, says Mapleton’s chief building official.

“The building activity in the Township of Mapleton in 2016 remained steady in  comparison to the five-year averages in numbers, fees and construction value,” stated CBO Patty Wright in a year-end report presented at the Jan. 24 council meeting.

Mapleton’s building department issued 315 permits for construction valued at about $34.4 million in 2016, generating permit fees of just over $307,000.

Those numbers all fall below figures generated in 2015, when the township issued 339 permits for $58.5 million worth of construction, resulting in about $385,000 in fees.

However, the report indicates that dating back to 2012, the township issued an average of 310 permits annually, for about $38 million worth of construction, generating an average of $310,602 in permit fees.

Agricultural construction accounted for over a third (35 per cent) of permits issued and over half the construction value (52%) in 2016. A total of 112 permits were issued for agricultural construction valued at a total of $17.9 million. Agricultural permit fees totalled $161,333, 52% of the total.

Single family dwellings represented 7.9% of permits issued in 2016, but 25% of construction value.

The township issued 25 permits for single family dwellings valued at $8.6 million, generating $58,771 in fees.

There were 12 permits issued last year for industrial construction valued at just over $1 million, while six commercial permits resulted in construction worth $487,000.

Cottage construction for new buildings, additions and renovations resulted in 16 permits for about $1.2 million in construction.

Long-term trend

Agricultural construction was also the busiest sector in 2015, with $22.4 million worth of construction generating $181,216 in fees on 133 permits - almost 40% of the total number of permits issued.

Agriculture construction has represented the largest share of building activity throughout the five-year period dating back to 2012.