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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, Apnil 27, 2004-3 Building permit nuimbers could surpass last year 's By JASON MISNER The Champion Here's a shock - Milton's resi- dential base la growing and fast. In fact, Town officiais say there'a a chance the record of 2,003 resi- dential building permaits issued last year could be broken thia year. An information report, which at presa time yesterday was ached- uled to be ratified at last night's counicil meeting, detaaied construc- tion activity in Milton - residen- tial and industriai-comniercial- institutionai (ICI) - for the flrst quarter of this year, between January 1 and Marh 3 1. The Town isaucd a sizzling 759 building permits. During the samne dmrn last year, 551 were iasued as the Town finisbed thc year by isau- ing a record 2,003 permits. "We're off like a rocket," said Mcl Iovio, Milton's director of planning and developrnent. "January-Fcbary- March is uaually a aiower period." He aaid there'a a good poasibility dic Town could aurpasa 2,003 per- mita iaaued. "It's a good start and cxceeding lasa year's pace." But hie cautioned Uiere are many months lefi and anything can bap- pen to detcrniine bow thc houaing market reacts, Uiough Uicre's eveiy indication to believe Uic market will remnain healUiy and vibrant. 1I think Uic market is atili atrong in Milton for bousing," Mr. Iovio said. "1 think it's going to maintain a good pace and meet our target for 1,871 building pernnta." Residential growth of larger pro- portions becamne an almost instant reality once Halton Region installcd Uic 'Big Pipe', an intricate water and wastewater piping sys- terr Uiat drawa water fromn Lake Ontario to service new develop- ment areas in Milton. Before Uic pipe camne on-âne in late 2000, reaidential growUi in Milton was stagnant to say Uic lest. lIn 1999, Uiere were 92 bous- ing starts in Milton and 77 starta in 2000, befote ballooning to 1,192 starta in 2001, 1,765 starta in 2002 and 1,973 starts ist ycar. Ted Talakopoulos, acting region- al economiat for Canada Mortgagc and Housing Corporation, said Uic Milton housing market wiIl proba- biy cool Uia ycar but only slightiy. Housing starts will likely drop by about 10 per cent in 2004 acros Uic GTA, including Milton. "Home starta will iikely not kcep pace wiUi levels we saw last year, but we stili expeca somne pretty atrong activity," Nr. Tsiakopoulos said, noting intereat rates stili remain low and Uic job market scema to be performing welI. "That bigh level of growth is very difficuit to match," hie said. There werc 5,485 total housing starts in Halton Iast year. Tlhe bulk of reaidential development in Uic region is expected to occur in Milton and norUi Oakville over Uic next fcw years. Milton Mayor Gord Krantz - who has seen Uic town grow since becoming mayor somne 30 ycars ago - said Uic expansion in Milton la mnirroring what officiais projectcd would bappen. "We're prctty wcll on targct whcre we aiways expectcd it to be - maybe a littie over," hie said. He said Uic Town bas leamned a few Uiings from Uic residentiai boom, like enauring proper garage aizes Uirough rcvised bylaws. He's beard residents' concernas about Milton'a rapid dcvclopment, but strcssed Uic Province set out polices ycars ago detailing growah in Uic GTA, including the land cxped to occur in Haiton. "A 'no growth' scenario is not an option - and I usaderline not an option," bie said. "'fli economy dictates how fast or bow slow it goea abead. Thcre's no such tbing as atopping growUi and cspecially in this part of Uic province." Based on projections madc last year, Milton'a population is cxpect- cd to grow to 106,000 by 202 1, spread out betwccn more than 34,000 residentiai units. Jason Mi.sner can be reached at jmisner@miltoncanadianchampi- on.com. 5k>se 6~4~~r a,~d~J '3 I3,n 204MnaaRe.WelBs s290A s249798I-. s30- 2 , 200 PntaSutA 5 iI55e edan .I s220tB eAYaa,tA" I 2004SA5 Grandm't A mS IBsSP,5!.,.. Os22191_501, adSEs5 $1,000,A 0 IN INENR OF OPIU ,5 EHC fr n. Fresh Bread and Duns Saked daity 7 days a week! -Â