Grant County sees considerable building permit activity
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 2 months AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | January 13, 2021 1:00 AM
EPHRATA — The construction industry was strong in Grant County in late 2020, as seen in building permit applications in the unincorporated areas.
Grant County Development Services Director Damian Hooper said Jan. 5 the county received 131 building permit applications in December, the highest monthly total for the year. County officials received 953 permit applications for the year, Hooper said.
The flood of applications led to some delays in issuing permits, Hooper said. In addition, the office suffered from some staffing issues in November and December after some staff members were exposed to the coronavirus.
The coronavirus outbreak prompted state officials to order the suspension of many activities, including construction. Private construction projects were shut down for six to eight weeks, from mid-March to mid-May.
Projects already in the works were allowed to resume in late April, and other construction resumed in May in some counties.
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