OLDS — Both the total number and the total value of building permits issued last year by the town were higher than those in 2021, according to statistics contained in the Municipal Planning Commission’s January agenda package.
In 2022, 106 building permits were issued for projects worth a total of $14.8 million. In 2021, 97 building permits were issued for projects estimated to be worth a total of $9.4 million.
Mind you, COVID-19 restrictions were in place for at least part of 2021.
In 2022, 12 permits were issued for detached homes worth a total of $4.4 million. That’s actually lower than 2021, when 17 permits were issued for detached homes worth a total of $5.5 million.
Ten permits were issued last year for duplexes worth a total of $2.5 million. In 2021, only two such permits were obtained for projects worth a total of $440,000.
In both 2022 and 2021, 17 permits were issued for commercial projects. The total value of that work was $2.8 million last year and $724,573 in 2021.
Also, seven permits were issued in both years for industrial projects. The total value of those projects in 2022 was $1.15 million. The total value of industrial projects in 2021 was $615,135.
Permits were issued in the institutional category last year for projects worth a total of $2.4 million. Permits for three projects in that category were issued in 2021, worth a total of $922,405.
The category with the largest number of projects in both years was accessory buildings/other.
Last year, a total of 56 permits were issued in that category for projects worth a total of $1.4 million. In 2021, 51 permits were issued in that category for projects worth a total of $1.18 million.
The total value of projects in 2022 was actually higher than initially thought, development officer Kyle Sloan told commissioners.
“We did find, in our review, when compiling annual statistics for permits, that we had missed a permit in April that was worth $1.75 million; that’s the permit for (the new) McDonald's (restaurant),” he said.
“It was paid for and everything and the permit was issued, but it was missed in these stats, every month this year since April. So it was an even better year than we had thought.”
Commissioner Judy Dahl, who also serves as the town’s mayor, said she was impressed with the figures.
“A very, very healthy stat picture of what’s going on in the town of Olds. Thank you for preparing them for us,” she said.
Commissioners voted to accept all the statistics as information.
