By Gary Nelson | The Republic | azcentral.com
The sounds of nail guns and backhoes have replaced the chirping from all those crickets in Mesa.
After several years of recession-induced doldrums, building-permit numbers and construction-tax revenues are surging in the nation’s 38th-largest city.
The boom is occurring, however, as the city examines whether past development patterns — many of which are reflected in ongoing residential projects — will suit the needs of a changing populace.
First, the numbers:
