The Freeborn County Planning and Zoning Department more than doubled the number of permits it issued in February 2011, when compared to the same month last year.

This February, the department issued nine building permits with a total estimated value of $133,232.

In February 2010, the county issued four building permits estimated at $101,700.

One permit issued in rural Albert Lea for a shingling project estimated at $50,000 and another in Geneva for a house and garage addition estimated at $26,882 made up the majority of the permit values. The remaining six permits were for siding, windows, a deck and a pole shed.

Last month, the county issued eight building permits estimated at $276,530.

This brings the year to date total for 2011 to 17 permits issued in Freeborn County estimated at $409,762.

Albert Lea’s Inspection Department issued eight building permits estimated at $665,713 in February 2011. Seven permits were for new siding, windows and re-shingling on residential housing units. A commercial permit was issued to First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea for interior remodeling, with an estimated value of $6,213.

That brings the total year to date number of city-issued building permits to 25, valued at about $207,878.

That compares to a year to date total of 11 permits issued by the end of February 2010, estimated at $899,886. The majority of that amount was one new living unit valued at nearly $180,000 and four commercial permits valued at about $589,500.

As the weather warms up and the snow starts to melt, building officials expect more permits will be issued in both the city and the county.