Residential permits down, commercial up in Lee in 2007

Builders in unincorporated Lee County, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers Beach pulled 35 permits for single-family houses in December. It is the lowest monthly total since November 1981, when 45 singlefamily permits were issued.

For the year 2007, permits were pulled for 2,393 single-family houses, compared to 7,392 in 2006. Also in 2007, permits were issued for 1,674 duplex and apartment units, compared to 3,998 in 2006.

Commercial permitting was valued at nearly $12.4 million in December. For all of 2007, commercial permitting was valued at $551.4 million, compared to $426.6 million in 2006.

Lee County issued a total of 27,769 building permits of all kinds, which were valued at nearly $2.3 billion in 2007. In 2006, there were 43,357 valued at $3.8 billion.

Lee County Community Development oversees planning, zoning, development, and building services, environmental review, building inspection and code enforcement for the unincorporated areas of the county, and permitting services for Bonita Springs and Fort Myers Beach.