Sheridan permits and housing: city reports steady construction and notes need for varied unit types

City of Sheridan building officials told City Council Monday that permit activity in 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 shows continued residential and commercial construction, while a 2021 housing needs assessment underscores remaining shortfalls in certain unit types.

Building Supervisor Jesse Katiska reported 919 total permits processed in 2024, including 167 residential permits and 69 commercial permits that required full review; an additional 683 simple permits (roofing, mechanical, plumbing, etc.) were processed. Katiska said contractor licensing is up, with 1,722 active contractor licenses as of early 2025.

City planner Kelly Schroeder placed those figures alongside the 2021 housing needs assessment prepared by Gruen and Gruen Associates. The study estimated Sheridan County needs roughly 1,349 housing units over a 10-year period (2022–2031), or about 135 units per year, broken down to approximately 98 single‑family and 37 multifamily units annually. Schroeder said Sheridan’s permitting met or exceeded the study’s annualized target in 2022 and fell short in 2023; 2024 permitting (198 new housing units) and early 2025 activity (45 units to date) indicate the city is on track to meet the study’s annualized target in recent years, but she cautioned that the study used pre‑COVID and pre‑2020 Census inputs and that unit type and affordability also matter.

Key figures cited by staff: - 2024: Total permits processed by building division: 919 (167 residential, 69 commercial full‑review; 683 simple permits). - 2024 housing completions: 198 new housing units (including six apartment buildings with 84 units reported). - Jan–Mar 2025: 355 permits processed to date; 49 residential permits and 10 commercial full‑review permits; simple permits already at 296 (roofing activity high).

Schroeder highlighted local demographic shifts and affordability: Sheridan County’s population is aging, the 2019 data used by the housing study estimated roughly 21.9% of homeowners and 37% of renters were cost‑burdened (spending 30% or more of pre‑tax income on housing), and the county was estimated to be about 50 deeply affordable units short at the time of the study.

Council members asked about contractor availability for commercial work and whether building licensing or plan-review processes were impeding development; Katiska said Sheridan has several commercial contractors and that in‑house plan review is now being handled by division staff to speed processing. Staff noted several notable projects either completed or in progress, including remodels at local hospital facilities, a new Holiday Inn Express, multiple apartment projects (Covey Run townhomes, Parker Flats), Kendrick Pool renovation, and the National Guard armory building.

Provenance (excerpt): Building division overview presentation began at s=614.17; planning context and housing needs assessment presented by Kelly Schroeder starting at s=1181.96.