The Blue Mountains saw building activity in 2022 drop off compared to the previous year, but the overall numbers remained strong.
For 2022, the town issued 744 permits for a total construction value of $228,741,488. This is compared to 807 permits for $332,058,248 in value in 2021.
Although total building activity was down across the board, the town still brought in $1,327,970.58 in building department revenue. This far exceeded the revenue budget of $1,075,606.
The revenue in 2022 includes 4,873 total inspections, 250 dwelling units and 99 zoning reports.
Tim Murawsky, the town's chief building official (CBO) delivered the report at council’s committee of the whole meeting on April 25.
“That’s a little lower than the previous year,” Murawsky told council, partially attributing the fall off to a lack of developable land. “We do have a shortage of serviced land.”
The CBO also reported that the majority of the new homes in the town were 2,500 square feet or larger.
Murawsky said 2022 was a year of change in the town’s building department. During the year, four staff members left the town to pursue other opportunities, which resulted in some shuffling and department restructuring. He said all vacancies were filled by the end of the year.
The CBO noted that town staff are looking forward to the province’s update of the building code due in 2024. The last update was in 2014 and once the new code is released, staff will be undergoing training and education sessions to ensure they are fully up-to-date with the new regulations.
Activity in the town is expected to remain strong in 2023.
“Construction starts are expected to be similar in 2023 as many building contractors have stated that they’re booked for 2023. Numerous developments that are projected to commence this year will create much sought-after residential building lots and enable construction activity to remain strong for several years,” Murawsky said in his report.
The building statistics for the town can be found here and here.
