Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Whitman County Building Inspector Dan Gladwill gave a fourth quarter and year-end building report to county commissioners Tuesday.
For the fourth quarter of 2018, he noted 54 permits were issued for a total valuation of $1.4 million.
“Kind of a medium average,” Gladwill said, noting that numbers were not as big as recent years of large commercial projects.
“We had a pretty good fourth quarter. It didn’t tail off as it had in the past. We just kept chugging along,” he said.
For the year-end report, the county issued 178 permits for $8.9 million in total value. Gladwill noted that 16 were for single-family homes, all in cluster zones around Pullman.
“Sixteen homes for the year is pretty good for us,” he said.
The top year over the past five years was $13.3 million in 2015. For 2013 to 2015, each year was above $11 million, followed by a drop to $6.06 million in 2016 and $8.4 million in 2017.
In comments to commissioners, Gladwill said large commercial permits are not expected in the near future.
“The Port of Wilma is pretty much built-out,” he said.
Gladwill said cluster development around Pullman is really what’s keeping the building department afloat.
Cluster re-zoning allows a landowner to develop ground for houses. Cluster zones approved by county commissioners in recent years are in an agriculture district around Pullman within a half-mile of city limits.
A cluster zone allows for a required minimum of 20 acres with four lots.
Commissioner Dean Kinzer made a comment Tuesday in further discussion.
“We are paving over a lot of productive acres,” he said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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