The upward trend of increased construction of new single-family residential homes in the city of Scottsburg has continued, with significant increases in each of the last 4 years, and is remains high in 2019, according to information recently released by the Scottsburg Office of the Advisory Plan Commission.
Like much of the country, Scottsburg hit a lull in single-family construction after the 2008 recession, but starting in 2016, activity by builders of new single-family homes began to steadily increase in Scottsburg.
In 2017 there were 17 new single-family residential homes built within the city limits. In 2018 there were 23 new single-family homes built in Scottsburg, and through the middle of September 2019 there have been 31 new single-family homes built or in the process of being built in the city.
Plan Commission Director April Ramoni said that the interest shown by builders in the city is encouraging. “The busy activity by the home builders brings in new residents and new investment in the community,” she said “The only concern is that because the builders are so busy, they are using almost all of the available building lots within the city, and new areas for building homes must be located.
With building lots becoming scarce, the Plan Commission was encouraged to learn recently that a local builder had purchased a parcel of land within the city to subdivide for eight more homes.
It is also a good sign that the Plan Commission recently issued a building permit to TK Contractors, a large builder outside of this community, to build a spec house in Moonglo Estates that TK Contractors will use as a show home to exhibit to prospective purchasers of other homes they hope to build in the city, said Ramoni.
“The several builders working within the city have completely filled the subdivision in the northwest corner of the city known as Wolf Run,” she said. “The adjoining subdivision known as Moonglo Estates is now completely full except for 3 single-family lots.”
Another subdivision known as Hidden Meadows behind the former Pizza Hut location along Highway 31 North has been the site of a lot of recent activity with seven new homes being completed this year and an additional five new homes currently under construction.
“The builders are reporting to us that in many instances the houses are selling faster than they can finish them, with ‘sold’ signs in the yard before the houses are completed,” said Ramoni. “The builders are also reporting to us that many of the new homeowners are new residents to this community, including people who are migrating north from the Louisville area or south from Central Indiana who are seeking a more affordable and rural living experience.”
Ramoni also reported that building activity is brisk for remodeling and rehabilitation of structures in addition to new construction.
Through mid-September this year, 89 building permits had been issued in the city compared to 75 for all of calendar year 2018, which was more than the earlier average of 55 construction permits per year. The Plan Commission office expects to issue 100 or more building permits for calendar year 2019, she said.
According to Mrs. Ramoni, “The excitement of seeing this growth and development in the community more than offsets the additional workload for us,” Ramoni said. “We are looking forward to a continuation of ‘busy builders’ working in the city.”
