Advertisement He told Onalaska Plan Commission members Tuesday night that building permits are down for single family housing as of the end of July, but other categories of permits are on track to equal or exceed prior years. Through July 31, there were only seven single-family permits issued compared to 40 for year end 2007 and 64 in 2004.
There were 12 duplex permits issued through July compared to 17 in all of 2007 and 19 in 2004.
More multi-family housing permits have been issued than last year, but the number of units is down. Through July 2008, there have been three multi-family developments with a total of 17 units. That compares to one development with 130 units in 2007 and none in 2004. “Builders are refocusing their efforts on multi-family homes due to the market in single-family homes,” Gilman said.
Commercial development appears to be down this year; the city has issued only four permits so far compared to 27 in 2007 and 12 in 2004.
A lot of people are investing in their existing homes or buildings. There have been 34 permits for remodeling/additions or alterations so far in 2008 compared to 41 in all of 2007 and 83 in 2004.
Gilman’s optimism for continued growth is based on several factors. He believes developers and investors are using the economic downtime to plan projects several years out. The result, he said, would be improved projects and streamlined implementation.
Gilman is also encouraged by the reinvesting he sees in existing homes, neighborhoods and buildings. He cited one particular renovation he was excited about on La Crosse Street where the owner has taken a $55,000 renovation permit. “Supposedly, the value of the home will be about $750,000 once the project is complete,” Gilman said.
Another cause for Gilman’s optimism is he said there are more people moving downtown, saying urban infill projects are more prevalent. This has given rise to more local planning, which is good for the city, Gilman said.
Another bright spot is the public/private partnership opportunities. Examples of these are working on developing a TIF district for the Waterfront, including possibly receiving a Community Development Block Grant, and the Onalaska Public Library expansion.
Gilman is also optimistic because developers are taking the downtime to adjust projects. “They are taking the time for self-correction,” he said. “They are making adjustments from overbuilding of one type of housing (like single-family) to another such as multi-family.”
Another public/private partnership is with CouleeCap. About a year ago, the Long Range Planning Committee asked what they could do to create more affordable housing. The partnership with CouleeCap introduces the land trust idea in which the land trust takes an underutilized property and purchases it. It (CouleeCap) creates improvements on the land by developing a home that fits in well with the neighborhood, then sells the home. The land trust keeps the land but the owner keeps the equity of the home when they sell it.
“It allows people to have a nice home and build equity,” Gilman said. “There’s not enough of these projects yet to say we’ve made a dent in affordable housing, but it’s a start.” Gilman told commission members that there is currently one such project going up on the 400 block of Second Avenue North.
“This is especially appealing to me because it allows families to transition to homeownership and adds to downtown development and people living downtown,” Mayor Mike Giese said.
Other business
The Plan Commission recommended approval of a subdivision request by Elmwood Partners for an amendment to the preliminary plat for the Third Addition to the Country Club Estates.
The original plat displays the property as a cul de sac, but the developer, for various reasons, had to eliminate the cul de sac and now wants to create four lots.
The commission approved a one-year extension of a final plat filing for the French Valley Neighborhood Development.
Contact Jo Anne Killeen at joanne.killeen@lee.net or (608) 786-6816.
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