Unincorporated Douglas County so far this year has issued about
the same number of building permits as it did last year.
About 6,700 permits have been issued this year, compared with
6,800 permits issued by third quarter’s end in 2001. The 2001
numbers were down about 12 percent from 2000 permit numbers
overall.
However, construction revenues were down 25 percent in the third
quarter. The 25 percent decrease is not as dramatic as it was the
first and second quarter this year, when revenues were down 36
percent and 39 percent, respectively.
The only permits on the rise are remodels. People are continuing
to remodel their houses at an increasing rate. Remodel permits are
up 13 percent over last year.
Single-family house construction permits for the third quarter
in the unincorporated areas – Highlands Ranch, Castle Pines,
Roxborough, the Pinery, Perry Park, Sedalia and Franktown – were
down 21 percent. Whereas 1,806 single-family permits were issued by
the third quarter 2001, 1,434 permits have been issued so far this
year. The 2001 single-family permit numbers were also down 21
percent from 2000. Single-family permits peaked between 1996-99,
with 3,600-3,900 permits issued per year.
Multifamily building permits are down 18 percent. The Douglas
County building department issued 172 townhouse permits by the end
of September this year, compared 190 townhouse permits by this time
last year. No apartment developers have requested permits this
year, whereas 43 permits for 450 units were issued by September
2001.
Commercial permits are down 19 percent in Douglas County. The
building department said it issued 210 commercial permits by the
end of the third quarter, versus 259 permits issued by this time in
2001. The 2001 commercial numbers were similar to the 2000
numbers.
The value of the buildings and houses constructed so far this
year in unincorporated Douglas County is down 32 percent compared
with last year at this time. Approximately $414 million worth of
buildings were built January through September this year. In that
same time period in 2001, developers added $608 million to the
county.
Castle Rock
More building permits have been issued for townhouses and
condominiums than for single-family houses in Castle Rock, the
third-quarter building report says.
As of the end of September, 678 new building permits for
single-family houses were issued by the Castle Rock Development
Services Department, down 11 percent from 2001, when 764
single-family building permits issued.
Single-family building permit valuation is down 16 percent from
last year with a 2002 valuation of $91 million compared with $108
million in 2001.
However, construction of townhouses and condominiums is up 77
percent, with 396 issued this year compared with 115 for the same
time period last year.
Valuation for condos and townhouses are down 25 percent with $7
million for the third quarter of 2002 compared with $9.4 million in
2001.
There have been no multifamily dwelling unit building permits
issued in 2002, compared with 200 issued for the same time period
in 2001.
Commercial building permits are down 18 percent with 13 new
permits issued this year compared with 16 permits issued during the
same time period last year.
Commercial valuation is down 14 percent with $5 million this
year compared with $5.8 million last.
However, valuation of all building permits issued in the third
quarter of 2002, including remodeling and other permits, is up
slightly. Valuation is up 14 percent with $142.5 million compared
to $140.5 million in 2001.
Parker
The building permits issued in Parker so far this year show new
a trend.
A significant change in Parker’s growth pattern during the last
few years has been the switch from single-family houses to
apartments, building official Pete Tyree said in a letter to town
administrator Aden Hogan.
Single-family housing had decreased by about 32 percent from
last year. Through the end of September last year 577 single-family
permits had been issued, while through September this year 390
permits have been issued.
Permits pulled for apartment complexes are almost half of what
they were last year at this time. Last year permits were issued for
664 units, most of them for the apartments at Crown Point, while
this year permits for 325 units have been pulled. Construction cost
for apartment permits this year is almost $24 million.
The construction valuation has decreased about 15 percent this
year from $177,076,821 during the first nine months of 2001 to
152,372,051 for the same period this year.
The $32 million in construction valuation for the Parker
Adventist Hospital paid in July raised the commercial activity up
to almost 30 percent of the total.