Report cites increased development in 2017
WILTON, N.Y. » Residential and commercial construction activity both increased significantly in Wilton during 2017, a town Development Report says.
The town issued 106 residential building permits, a 10-year high, while non-residential construction was three times more than the previous year’s total.
Spurred by a healthy economy, contractors are off to a strong start in 2018 as well.
“Within the last two months we’ve sold our three model homes in all the developments,” said Matt McPadden, McPadden Builders LLC owner and founder. “We’ve been busy every year, but it seems like there’s been even more of an uptick this spring. Interest rates are still low and the economy’s doing very well right now. People are making changes with their jobs and continuing to upgrade their home.”
He was busy working on new houses Friday at the Craw Farm subdivision, owned by developer William Morris, off Traver Road.
“These range from $350,000 to $525,000,” McPadden said. “We’re getting a mix of folks here, both empty-nesters that like the one-story homes, as well as families that generally go for
two stories. However, we’re even finding younger families coming in, still wanting the one story because they’re more efficient.”
McPadden’s firm is also working at the Olson Farm, Ridgeview and Huckleberry Finn Estates subdivisions in Wilton, plus The Elms at Saratoga near Saratoga Springs High School, and at Wyndham Way in Milton -indicating brisk residential growth throughout the area.
The 106 residential building permits issued last year in Wilton eclipsed the previous 10-year high -- 74 in 2007 -- by a wide margin. Fifty-nine were for new single-family homes, while 47 were for additions and remodels.
In addition to building permits, the town also approved applications for six subdivisions totaling 37 lots, ranging in size from two to 15 lots each.
Townwide, there are 588 undeveloped lots in previously approved subdivisions, setting the stage for considerable future development.
The Sonoma Grove subdivision alone has 66 undeveloped lots, the town report says.
“Things have turned around,” said Ryan Riper, town engineer and planning director. “We’re definitely seeing an increase in residential building construction.”
On the non-residential side, 134,533 square feet of new construction was approved for 18 projects in 2017. Excluding 2015, when Ace Hardware obtained approval for a large new distribution center expansion, this was the highest figure since 2009 (150,842 square feet), and more than three times the 41,361 square feet of non-residential construction approved in 2016.
Again, excepting the Ace expansion, last year also marked the first time since 2009 that non-residential construction approvals reached the 100,000-squarefoot plateau.
Projects vary in size, from a new 4,731-square-foot auto sales building at New Country Subaru near Exit 15, to a 90,850-square-foot selfstorage facility proposed for Route 50 near Edie Road.