Sarasota building permits up

SARASOTA — The amount of new commercial permits issued in Sarasota County in 2012 is on track to reach its highest tally since fiscal 2008, according to a county report.

The county issued 84 permits through July, up from 73 in all of fiscal 2011 and 68 in 2010, the report shows. The last time the county surpassed 80 commercial permits was 2009, with 89. The count surpassed 100 in each of 2007 and 2008, with 161 and 135 permits, respectively. The county's fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

The 84 commercial permits issued in the county in 2012 are worth more than $35 million, according to the report.

The report also tracks approved residential lots and approved commercial projects, which are separate from actual commercial permits issued. On that front, fiscal 2012 has been sluggish: The county approved 49 residential lots through July — well below the 224 approved in fiscal 2011 and the 237 approved in fiscal 2010. The county approved 29 commercial projects through July, compared with 42 in 2011 and 62 in 2010.