And permit money for RCN offices has yet to come in
By: Lea Kahn
With less than four months to go in 2000, Lawrence Township is poised to break its record revenue in construction fees, according to township Construction Official/Fire Marshal William Erney.
Lawrence Township has received $939,000 in Uniform Construction Code fees as of July 31. This compares with $1,058,771 in fees generated in all of 1999, and $1,060,128 in 1998, Mr. Erney said.
But the township will easily surpass those figures, once the fees for permits begin rolling in for the RCN Corp.’s planned headquarters office park on Princeton Pike, he said. RCN expects to break ground next month.
The number of permits issued through the first seven months of 2000 is slightly ahead of the number of permits issued by July 1999. As of July 31, 3,539 permits had been issued. By July 31, 1999, the Construction Code Enforcement Office had issued 3,519 permits.
"It’s a combination of things. The economy is good, and people have confidence. They are spending money on remodeling. There are all the home improvement shows that show people how to do the work themselves. The material, the tools and the equipment (available today) makes it easy," Mr. Erney said.
Permits are issued for plumbing, mechanical, fire and electrical work, he said. Building permits for the construction of commercial buildings, new houses, additions or renovations must be issued before work can begin.
The revenue generated by the permits has increased, not necessarily because there are more permits being issued but because of the value of the work being done, he said. Fees are based on the cost of the improvement or work being performed.
About one-third of the construction work is related to residential development, he said. Over the past five years, several residential developments have been built or are in the construction stage.
The Lawrence Hollow single-family-home development, off Denow Road, has been completed, as well as the Golden Crest single-family-home development off Bunker Hill Road, he said.
The 320-unit Liberty Green subdivision, off Lawrence Station Road, is under construction. Permits have been taken out for 56 duplex units, and 28 single-family homes are under construction, he said.
At the Lawrenceville Point senior citizens housing development, 84 building permits have been issued and 56 units are under construction, Mr. Erney said. The development is located off Bunker Hill Road.
But the majority of the work is commercial – renovations and new buildings at The Lawrenceville School, Rider University, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Quaker Bridge Mall and the newoffice building on Lenox Drive, he said.
The RCN Corp. headquarters and the new-car dealerships on Route 1 – the General Motors Auto Mall and Lawrence Lexus – will keep the Building Department busy for quite some time, Mr. Erney said.
"We are working overtime to keep up with inspections," he said. "Lawrence Township residents don’t pay dollar one unless they are getting a permit. Our office is totally self-supported by the permits and fees."