.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Though housing starts are down in Iowa, Bondurant is approaching a record high. As of the end of August, the city had issued 71 new housing permits, up from 49 for all of 2006 and nearing its record of 95 in 2005. Meanwhile, new housing permits in Iowa from January through July were down 9.8 percent.

Bondurant issued 10 housing permits in August, with each house valued at slightly more than $100,000 for a total value of $1.26 million. City Administrator Mark Arentsen said the most activity is in the Arbor Ridge and Wolf Creek developments, followed by C.O.V.E. and Wisteria Heights.

Permits could be issued at an even faster rate once a couple of additional developments start construction, including Efnor Estates, a 26-acre site on the city’s northwest side, and Petoka Lake, which Jerry’s Homes Inc. is working on along Lake Petoka and U.S. Highway 65.

Arentsen attributes the increase in new permits to the city’s great schools, new library and public safety buildings under construction, residential tax abatement and reasonable home prices. Residents will vote on a referendum this fall on whether to construct a new high school on the city’s northern limits.