Branson sees increase in new home construction

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by Maria Hoover|ret||ret||tab|

Inside Business Editor|ret||ret||tab|

mhoover@sbj.net|ret||ret||tab|

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A significant increase in new, single-family home construction in Branson is attributed to changes in the requirements for home builders that simplify the residential permitting process, according to city officials.|ret||ret||tab|

In 1998, only 16 single-family residential permits, with a total value of about $1.4 million, were issued in the city of Branson for the whole year. By comparison, from January to December 2003, the city of Branson's Planning and Development Department issued 53 permits for single-family homes which represents an increase of more than 300 percent. |ret||ret||tab|

In November, 10 residential permits with a total value of nearly $1.2 million were issued. |ret||ret||tab|

Don Stephens, planning and development director with the city of Branson, said that in 1998 the city was about 80 percent commercial development, and officials were looking at ways to beef up new home construction within the city limits. Surveys at that time, according to a city news release, showed that more than 60 percent of the people who worked in Branson lived outside the city limits. |ret||ret||tab|

"There was a large imbalance of commercial versus residential when the boom came along. Many people managed to rezone or annex property in and got it zoned commercial, because that seemed to be the big selling point when the boom was on for theaters and developments like that, and a lot of the residential just didn't happen," Stephens said.|ret||ret||tab|

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Making changes|ret||ret||tab|

Stephens said the change in requirements did not reduce building code requirements. The changes are, however, "a relaxed way of allowing people to get permits when they want to build their homes, and helping them get through the process with as little pain as possible," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

One of the biggest changes affects trees and development, specifically eliminating a deposit that was required for obtaining a single-family building permit.|ret||ret||tab|

"Originally, in our landscaping ordinance for single-family residential only, there (was) a deposit that (was) required. They put up $50 per tree for every tree that's six inches (in circumference) or larger within that area where the house is going to be built," Stephens said.|ret||ret||tab|

Under the old rule, after a home was finished, if the trees lost were replanted or saved, the per-tree deposit was refunded to the homeowners. |ret||ret||tab|

"Instead of the homeowner having to put money up-front into a deposit for us, it allows them to be able to use that money for construction," Stephens said.|ret||ret||tab|

A standard landscaping ordinance related to trees remains in effect in Branson.|ret||ret||tab|

"It requires so many trees and so many bushes for every 100 feet of frontage that they have, that they have to plant," Stephens said. |ret||ret||tab|

Previously, the city's building code also called for full sets of plans for single-family residential projects, another requirement that has been eliminated. |ret||ret||tab|

"Now we just require a plot plan showing where (a home) is going to be located on the lot, and its distances from property lines et cetera and don't require a full set of house plans. (But) again, that's just on single-family residential," Stephens said. |ret||ret||tab|

Of the new homes being built in Branson, Stephens said, "Most of them are small subdivisions, but we do have some preliminary plans for some larger ones (that) are going through the subdivision process."|ret||ret||tab|

Based on the growth in residential construction in 2003, the city is optimistic that its efforts to even up the commercial/residential mix are working.|ret||ret||tab|

"Any community needs a good balance in order to maintain the community itself," Stephens said. "You need to have a balance of residential and commercial. The residential just was not happening. A lot of the existing neighborhoods inside Branson, we're trying to protect those as much as we can (by putting in) some buffering regulations and some distance separations between residential and commercial to ensure protection of those existing neighborhoods. And, of course, we want to try to encourage some new development in the town to try to at least build that base for the community itself."|ret||ret||tab|

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