Regency II buoys Anderson building permits in '08

Despite a national recession that has virtually halted new home construction, the City of Anderson experienced its fourth highest permit valuation and finished 2008 slightly ahead of last year's pace with $17,287,059 worth of permit values. In 2007, $17,011,889 in permits were issued.

"The increase was a pleasant surprise because the economy was in recession," Anderson City Manager Scott Morgan said. "Regency Place II was the largest reason."

The assisted living complex for low-income seniors registered a permit valuation of $6,103,020 in November that accounted for more than a third of Anderson's total permit valuations.

In other business, repairs on the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District aqueduct over Bruce Street was completed Dec. 19, although due to various improvements, the road would not reopen until perhaps mid-January, Morgan said.

"We need dry pavement to put down a new fogline," he said.

The road is to be narrowed by repainting the fogline. By doing so, the city encourages traffic to drive in the center of the arching flume, where there is the most clearance for trucks.

The flume was originally damaged by a truck not meeting the clearance demands posted on the aqueduct. Repairs cost $170,000, which the ACID intends to recover from the truck driver's insurance.