Friday, January 01, 1999
Boone kept building in 1998
Record 2,700 permits for residential and commercial
BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
An all-time high of 2,700 permits issued in Boone County in 1998 for housing and commercial buildings will result in the collection of $700,000 in building permit fees — also a record.
Through November, about 2,500 commercial building and housing permits were issued, up from the previous high of 2,314 in 1997, according to the Boone County Building Department. The 2,500 figure will increase by at least 200 when December statistics are added.
The $700,000 in fees anticipated for 1998 represents nearly a doubling from the $380,000 collected in 1992, said Luann Moore, office manager for the Boone County Building Department. The previous high, in 1997, was $590,000 in building permits fees.
“I think the housing (boom) is a result of all the industrial and commercial development that has taken place,” said John Huth, a planner for the Boone County Planning Commission. “We've got a good school system, we've got nice roads.”
From 1990 to 1996, Boone County was the fastest-growing county in the Tristate, with a 26.6 percent increase in population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The three large cities in Boone County — Florence, Union and Walton — received most of the overall growth.
Boone County's population is nearing 80,000, an increase of more than 20,000 since 1990. By 2020, the population is projected to be 91,500, said Mr. Huth. Most of Boone County's residential development has come in the form of single-family units and apartments.
Ray Erpenbeck, a consulting engineer, said his company is helping to design more than 20 subdivisions in Boone County.
“It's quite simple: They have the area that's fairly developable and the industrial influx out there. The industry is moving in, and we have to have a place for the workers to live. This (growth) will contin ue, unless they make a decision to shut down and say we don't want any more industry,” Mr. Erpenbeck said Thursday.
Ms. Moore echoed Mr. Erpenbeck's belief.
“I expect it (the number of building permits and fees collected) to rise every year. I think we have a lot of room for more growth, especially west of Burlington,” Ms. Moore said. “I think Boone County is one of the premier places to live in Northern Kentucky. I think if you want to build a house, you can find land.
“Every year, the county is making more money. I think it just shows the growth in the county,” Ms. Moore said about the increasing number of building permits.
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