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County planning staff says permit totals reflect all permit types; officials to track lots and update public data
Summary
Planning staff told the Madison County Fiscal Court on March 11 that the county’s published building-permit totals include all permit types, not only new single-family homes, and that staff will track subdivision lots and reformat public permit data to clarify the distinction.
Madison County planning staff presented an overview of development activity on March 11, 2025, telling the fiscal court that headline permit counts posted on the county website represent every permit type (including barns, garages, pools and decks) and therefore overstate the number of new single-family homes if those totals are interpreted without qualification.
Planning staff said the county is growing and cited rough population-change estimates of 600–1,500 new residents a year (the presenter used a conservative midrange), which translates to roughly 250 new dwelling units a year when using 2.5 residents per household. Staff provided a three-year snapshot of single-family new construction and subdivision approvals to illustrate the difference between total permits and new-home counts: - 2022: approved 90 subdivision lots; 209 new-construction residential permits (single-family new construction only) — staff noted some COs lagged into 2023 because permits taken out late in the year can receive certificates of occupancy the following year. - 2023: approved 149 lots; 252 new-construction residential permits. - 2024: roughly 155–163 new-construction residential permits (figures presented as a range in staff remarks).
Staff and magistrates discussed multifamily development; planning staff noted county rules that make large multifamily projects less common in unincorporated areas (requirements such as sewer access and minimum acreage, often five acres). Officials said some higher-density projects tend to appear inside cities where infrastructure exists.
County staff told the court they will begin tracking approved subdivision lots as part of routine permit tracking and will reformat posted permit data on the website so the public can distinguish between total permits issued and new single-family construction.
Why it matters Residents and elected officials have expressed concern that posted permit totals create a perception of rapid residential overdevelopment. Planning staff said the raw permit total is not an apples-to-apples comparison for single-family housing and that more granular presentation will help the public and magistrates evaluate growth and infrastructure needs. The court also discussed coordinating comprehensive-plan updates with the cities (Richmond and Berea) in the coming years; staff said Madison County’s comprehensive plan is due for update in 2026 and city updates are underway.
Direction to staff Court members and planning staff agreed to: - Begin tracking subdivision lots approved and include that metric in future reports; and - Consider website formatting changes so permit counts clearly show which permits are new single-family residential construction vs. other permit types.
