THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 17, 1996 TAG: 9603160110
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Chesapeake Business Review
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Although interest rates last year were attractive for homeowners, Chesapeake experienced a marginal decline in the number of permits for single-family dwellings.
A total of 1,391 single-family dwelling permits were issued last year, several hundred fewer than in 1994. Both years are down from a recent high of 2,278 in 1993.
Chesapeake's slight decline in single-family dwelling units is the result of a number of factors, according to city officials.
Brent R. Nielson, director of Chesapeake's Planning Department, said the decline is partly due to recent growth management policies adopted by the City Council.
But Carl E. Hall, director of inspections, said the decrease is also the result of high lumber costs early last year.
In 1995, the city received 1,391 new home permits for single-family dwellings, which include single-family homes, townhouses and condos.
Many of those permits were for various new developments in Western Branch, such as The Crossings, Wellington, Scotfield Place, Hunters Core and Chesapeake Meadows.
According to Nielson, residential developments in Western Branch will continue to pop up in future years due to available land and convenient access to Interstate 664.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and Hampton Roads cities are considering a proposal to redesignate the region's interstates. Transportation officials say the shift would reroute much of the area's traffic to the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel and I-664, away from the congested Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
The redesignation would likely prompt more residential and business development in Western Branch, said officials.
On the other hand, the Great Bridge section of the city is in a period of slow residential growth due to few undeveloped residentially zoned parcels.
The number of total building permits issued in 1995 increased slightly to 7,245. The figure represents both residential and building permits submitted to the city last year. The total value of building permits in 1995 was more than $361 million, about $40 million more than in 1994.
Although many businesses set up shop or relocated their business to the city last year, many of them opted to occupy existing spaces.
Gerald Divaris, president of Divaris Real Estate Co., said companies locating to Chesapeake will have a good supply of existing retail and office space to choose from. ``But industrial space is tight right now in Chesapeake and all of Hampton Roads,'' he added. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Nielson
by CNB