AP Photo This Feb. 20, 2019 file photo shows a construction crew working on a new home. Warren County Planning Commission reports that new home construction was up in 2018.

New home construction and commercial development was up in 2018 in the 12 municipalities covered by the Warren County Zoning Ordinance.

But total permits were down 11 percent year over year, according to the Planning & Zoning Department’s annual report presented to the Warren County Planning Commission on Tuesday.

The county’s zoning ordinances covers Clarendon, Sugar Grove and Tidioute boroughs as well as Columbus, Conewango, Eldred, Elk, Glade, Mead, Pine Grove, Pleasant and Southwest townships, according to the ordinance.

The report shows that there were nine single-family new home starts – up 28 percent from 2017 – as well as nine permits issued for commercial development, up 50 percent year over year.

The majority of the residential development took place in Conewango and Pine Grove townships while the commercial focused in Conewango and Glade.

Getting a handle on the value of that development can be a challenge because Lyon said permitees often don’t report the value of new construction to the county.

However, the total number of permits was down 11 percent to 210.

“I don’t know why,” Lyon said, “the nature of the ebb and flow.”

Fees collected for those permits – as well as fees from special exceptions, variances and appeals – brought in $6,435 in 2018.

Historically, the total number of permits is down from 235 in 2017 and 249 in 2016 but the exact same – 210 – as in 2014.

Subdivisions – a total of 60 – generated $4,215 in fees. That total is up from 49 in both 2016 and 2017.