Tipton demolition permits outnumber building permits

TIPTON More than a year after flooding shook the housing stock in Tipton, Mayor Don Havens said there is cause for a positive attitude moving forward.

While demolition permits may outnumber building permits due to the razing of flood-damaged properties, Havens believes the numbers are only a temporary setback on the road back to increased real estate within the city. A good portion of new home construction has occurred in the Maxey-Hopkins development on the west side of town, Havens noted.

In the past 12 months, roughly, the city has seen five new homes built, he said. Although that doesnt sound like much, its pretty good relative to the year prior to that. Those are all non-flood related properties, in addition to two new flood-related home [constructions]. I find that to be a positive.

In 2013, the city of Tipton issued 23 permits for flood restoration projects, making up a decent portion of the 75 total building permits issued that year.

The city issued just 11 permits through May 2014, totaling $468,300, compared to 36 issued through May of 2013. A total of 22 permits, the majority of which were for flood restoration projects, were issued in the month of May alone.

The demolition permits are going to outnumber the building permits because of the flood demolition projects, Havens said. But thats a temporary thing and I hope that there will be a return into increased real estate.

Developers in Tipton County have been issued 33 building permits through May 2014, totaling $2,458,550, compared to 34 issued through that same period in 2013, totaling $1,808,994.

Pole barn installations and house additions have made up a significant amount of the construction in 2014.

Havens expects the opening of the Chryslers Tipton Transmission Plant, which began production in April, will have an impact on future housing numbers, but that wont be able to be measured in the short term.

"I think it will have a measurable bearing, but its too early to start to measure it, he said. Theyre only up to about 30 percent of the employment they expect to have. The people that work there are going to take a while to relocate.

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Tipton demolition permits outnumber building permits