Monday, December 17, 2007
Area one of fastest growing
A new U.S. Census Bureau report ranks the Auburn-Opelika area 89th among the top 100 fastest-growing metro areas in America.
April 5, 2007
A new U.S. Census Bureau report ranks the Auburn-Opelika area 89th among the top 100 fastest-growing metro areas in America.
In the period between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2006, Auburn-Opelika gained 10,689 residents - a growth of 9.3 percent, according to the population estimates released this week.
Huntsville was the only other Alabama city to appear in the top 100, registering a 10 percent growth rate and coming in at No. 83.
Local officials say the news reflects positively on the area.
“Wow,“ Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said when notified of the report. “What fuels this (growth) are good paying jobs and all of the industry and manufacturing and the opportunities that there are for people to be employed. People will move for good jobs and for opportunities, and I think that is one of the things that has happened.
“I’m excited about that.“
Growth in Opelika remains steady, Fuller said, noting that in the coming months, his city has a chance to break its record, not yet a year old, for the number of new homes built in a fiscal year.
Auburn Mayor Bill Ham echoed Fuller’s delight with the report but attributed Auburn’s continued growth, currently paced at about 2,000 residents per year, to residents’ satisfaction with city services.
Ham called the city’s annual citizen survey, released this week, “very telling.“
“There’s a tremendous amount of information in there ... the overwhelming numbers are very positive,“ Ham said. “The quality of life and schools are still very, very big issues.“
Ham said the positive reviews Auburn consistently draws in the citizen survey show that the rate of the city’s growth has not negatively impacted residents’ quality of life.
“Nearly all the numbers, across the board, were more positive than they were the previous year,“ Ham said. “I would have a concern if they were going in the opposite direction.“
Fuller and Ham agreed that the spoils of growth, such as increased tax revenue and expanding retail opportunities, come with their own challenges - especially in ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with residential growth.
“We don’t want to outrun our infrastructure,“ Fuller said, noting as an example Opelika’s recent expansion of its Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant. That plant, he said, was reaching capacity, and the expansion project will allow it to serve an 1,100-home development planned at National Village.
“We work at it every day,“ Fuller said. “We’re a long way from being at the tipping point, but we’ve got to be conscious of it, and we are.“
Ham said as growth continues, cooperation between Auburn and Opelika, especially on transportation issues, will be key for both cities. It is fortunate, he said, that Auburn and Opelika enjoy a good working relationship and cooperate on many projects, including public safety issues, the Auburn-Opelika Robert G. Pitts Airport and workforce development, among others.
“We’re essentially joined at the hip in so many ways,“ Ham said. “A healthy working relationship with Opelika is vitally important.“
Auburn City Manager Charlie Duggan agreed, saying that municipal officials share a desire to explore “areas of cooperation” that have the potential to make government services more efficient.
“Under the current climate right now, among Auburn, Auburn University, Opelika and Lee County, I think we have as much political cooperation as has ever been enjoyed here before,“ he said. “We do compete, and I don’t see that changing, because we each want what’s best for our cities. Where we go head-to-head, we’re going to fairly compete. But where we can combine, I think the willingness is there.“
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