Whitewater Region issued building permits in the last two years with an estimated construction value of close to $20 million.
Chief Building Official Doug Schultz said there is no forecast for 2016, but he is optimistic the growth trend will continue.
In his report to council last month, Mr. Schultz noted in 2015, 136 building permits were issued with a value of $9,813,239. Of those permits, 13 were for new homes, he reported. In 2014, 142 building permits were issued with a value of $9,836,814, and of those, 20 were for new homes.
Beachburg is showing the strongest growth compared to Cobden and Westmeath, but that’s because of how economical it is to live there, Mr. Schultz said. There is natural gas, which can heat a home for about $500 a wintry season, and electricity is provided by the Ottawa River Power Corporation, which is less than Hydro One, he explained.
“Beachburg is growing all the time,” Mr. Schultz said. “There are about three houses built a year, on average, in Beachburg.”
He has tried to get natural gas to Westmeath, but the gas companies don’t believe it’s economically feasible to get the lines to that community.
Marsha Hawthorne, township treasurer, said for the municipality, working with $9.8 million, means about another $54,256 in municipal taxes.
However, she noted that the valued amount of the building on the permit is usually less than what it is assessed at, so there is potential for a few more tax dollars.
But, with growth comes more usage of municipal amenities, such as roads, the landfill, and in some areas water and sewer plants, she said.
Mr. Schultz said that may be true, but without growth the cost for each property owner would increase more than it would with growth.
Growth could mean a possibility of municipal taxes increasing less than they might without it, he explained.
