Weakened economy stalls Sandy housing developments

By Jim Hart

The Sandy Post, Feb 24, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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Sandy, Boring and Mountain Village residents are not immune to the epidemic spreading across the country. A number of surveys have shown that the fear of losing income, inability to pay home mortgages or rent and dwindling investment values have people on edge.

Their reaction, too often, is to stop spending on the normal costs of living and to cut back as much as possible. Reduced sales and income have become daily headlines for many companies.

But that reaction could be at the heart of the dilemma the nation finds itself facing: how to stimulate the economy and move it forward.

Looking around Sandy, it is easy to see the construction industry is at a virtual standstill. The city has issued from zero to three building permits a month for the past four or five months. That’s a historic low.

Tracy Brown, planning director for Sandy, says there are about four subdivisions that have gone through some level of development (prior to construction) before coming to a standstill.

He says the reason could be that building has slowed and credit might be less available.

“A couple of (the subdivisions) are just waiting,” Brown said. “(The developers) either have to pay park fees or install a pump station or make improvements to the highway.

“And one of them is essentially done. But (the developer) hasn’t recorded a final plat, and I don’t know why, unless it’s the economy that’s not doing well. When they record the final plat they’ll be able to sell the lots or build on them.”

Even though Tom Orth of Orth Construction is putting the final touches on a subdivision near Dodge Park Road and 302nd Avenue, he is virtually unemployed. He has land on Bluff Road that he is not developing plans for, and he changed his plans to build a 14-unit townhouse complex near Ten Eyck Road and Hood Street. Due to an oversupply of townhomes, he made plans to install infrastructure for eight single-family homes.

But he didn’t install anything.

“My Ten Eyck Rim project has been approved by the city,” Orth said, “but I don’t think I am going to move forward on it at this time.

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