Permits Point to Recovery : Construction: County builders file paperwork for 678 homes and apartments, the most since June.

Orange County’s residential development industry showed continued signs of a mild recovery in March, as builders obtained permits for future construction of 678 homes and apartments.

The monthly total was the highest since June, when permits for 1,123 units were issued in the county, the Construction Industry Research Board said. The Burbank-based, industry-supported research group compiles monthly building permit data from throughout the state.

The March report shows that county builders last month obtained permits for 368 single-family homes--down slightly from February’s 375 permits and the second-highest monthly total since June--and for 310 multiple-family units, mainly apartments.

For the first three months of the year, the research board reported, builders have obtained permits for 1,492 residential units, including 1,010 single-family homes.

In the first quarter of 1991, 1,212 permits were issued, including 687 for single-family homes, the board reported. In 1989’s first quarter, 3,049 permits, including 1,052 for single-family homes, were issued.

The research board also reported Wednesday that the value of non-residential permits issued in the county continued a four-year decline, to $136 million for the first quarter from $207.8 million in the first three months of 1991.

The value of new industrial permits dropped 59%, to $3.8 million from $9.3 million a year earlier. New office permit values plunged 77%, to $12.5 million from $53.6 million.

However, retail permit values rose 40% during the quarter, to $22.9 million from the year-earlier $16.3 million. That increase came on the strength of several large projects for which permits were issued in February.

Permits are typically issued a month or more before construction begins.