Holiday for homes

Town will waive permit fees for 90 days

    By Shawn Daley Editor

Home renovations are rarely cheap with costs easily reaching thousands of dollars.

So the Town of Apex has decided to help residents save a few bucks while making home improvements.

The town council voted unanimously last week to waive all permit fees from April 2 to June 29 for residents making renovations, building a deck or adding a pool to their property.

Councilman Bryan Gossage, who proposed the “Home Improvement Holiday” idea to council, said the goal was to give people a little extra motivation to make improvements.

“You have folks who have lived in Apex all their lives and you have younger couples who just moved to town living in older homes,” said Gossage. “They could easily spend $2,000 or $3,000 on remodeling.

   “If we can knock a few hundred dollars off of that total by waiving permit fees it just might give them that motivation to get the work done.”

   Gossage said residents living in newer homes could also benefit from the absence of permit fees.

   “There are people in town with new homes that might have an unfinished bonus room or maybe they would like to add a room,” said Gossage. “They might also be thinking about moving to a bigger house in a different community.

   “This might give them the incentive to stay in Apex. They chose to live in Apex and they probably want to stay here. This is a good way for us to show them our appreciation.”

   Gossage took the idea from a similar program introduced in Anaheim, CA, in 2004. A native of the Anaheim area, Gossage was well aware of the success the city had with its fee holiday.

   “I had done some government work in California and I knew (Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle) by association,” said Gossage. “I spoke with some people (in city government) and they told me it was very successful.

   “This is very innovative and it is unique for North Carolina. As far as I know nothing like this has ever been done in the state.”

   It is estimated the program will cost the town about $21,000 in lost revenue over the 90-day period.

   But Gossage is more concerned about the long-term benefits that could result.

   “We felt we could absorb that loss,” said Gossage. “This is a case where many businesses could benefit. If you add on a bedroom you are going to need to decorate and furnish it. We have stores in town such as The Rusty Bucket and Linens 'n Things where people can shop.

   “You might also need a loan and that will help the banks. We also have the local contractors that will benefit. So we are hoping that we will see a boost in the local economy.”