By Randi Pierce
Staff Writer
Third quarter reports for Archuleta County’s building and planning departments show, among other things, two trends in Archuleta County — increasing numbers of lot consolidations and permit revenues 50 percent higher than last year.
The reports were given by County Planner Cindy Schultz and Building Official John Ruyle at the Nov. 8 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners.
Lot consolidations have accounted for the majority of application activity at the planning department, according to Schultz’s report, with nine applications for lot consolidations in the first quarter, 15 in the second quarter and 20 in the third quarter. Those 44 applications make up two-thirds of the application activity at the department.
Revenues in the planning department sit well below the $34,000 budgeted for 2012, which included several gas wells and a gas facility that never came to fruition. Without the $12,500 expected from the gas operations, revenues for the department are at 61.6 percent of budget.
Schultz’s report also highlighted current work by the planning commission on evaluation and revision of the Land Use Code, as well as research into potential process changes, such as for lot consolidations (on the planning commission agenda for Nov. 28).
Ruyle’s report on the building department revealed that permit types and revenues continue to be below levels seen in 2008 and before, but noted that, overall, both areas are trending upward.
Permit revenues in the second quarter fell short of projections and were the lowest quarter for revenue this year (historically the highest or second-highest quarter for revenue), but rebounded to a third-quarter level relatively close to last year.
Permit revenues, Ruyle said, are 50 percent higher than at the same time in 2011.
Nonresidential permits (permits for everything but single-family homes) continue to outpace new residential permits, according to the report — a trend since 2008.
Additionally, Ruyle said the department is on track to meet its projections for the year.
randi@pagosasun.com
