ShawneeDispatch.com

The census numbers came out last week for Shawnee and city leaders are happy.

"In terms of percentage, Shawnee grew faster than any first-class city in Kansas or in the metro area" between April 2000 and July 2005, said Jim Martin, the executive director of the Shawnee Economic Development Council.

That's 20.1 percent growth in population, up from 47,996 people in the 2000 Census to 57,628 as of July 1 of last year.

That puts Shawnee ahead of Olathe, which managed a 19.8 percent growth in the same period, from 92,962 to 111,334.

"From our perspective, it's another tool in our tool chest" to attract businesses, especially retailers, Martin said.

Paul Chaffee, Shawnee planning director, said the new census figures show "that home builders and buyers are still interested in what the city of Shawnee has to offer."

That includes, Chaffee said, "great transportation and parks," which improve the quality of life.

Martin echoed Chaffee's assessment, saying the continued growth was also due to "great city services, infrastructure and school districts that are usually No. 1 on everyone's list."

He said the city's location also lured people to Shawnee.

"There's also accessibility within the metro (area), he said. "I think quite a few executives who use the airport prefer Shawnee because it's just 30 minutes from the airport."

Martin said he thought there were a lot of other good reasons, including the city's setting in rolling hills, which attracted new residents.

Chaffee said most of the growth in the city was taking place west of I-435 in new developments.

As far as problems for the city associated with its continued growth, Chaffee said it was just a matter of more work: "We certainly have to provide more services than we do otherwise."

City Manager Carol Gonzales said, "Growth creates good things and challenges -- as a city certainly we deal those all the time."

She pointed to the need for additional infrastructure and staff, but that need is accompanied by an increased tax base, Gonzales said.

Chaffee cited increased street repairs necessitated by the growth in the number of streets.

Also, Chaffee said, "We have to get out there and buy park land while its available."

All of this is summed up by Chaffee's statement that the city has to serve more people while have the same-size staff.

The planning director said he didn't see any need for the city to put the brakes on development any time in the foreseeable future.

"We seem to have managed well over the last 30 years," he said.

Martin said he could see no downside to the city's economic growth.

There would be problems, he said, "if the city weren't prepared with infrastructure improvements" as it is.

Gonzales said she also didn't see any problems.

"We've projected our build-out (or maximum) population -- we would never think Shawnee could become unlivable," she said.

"Overall growth is part of our culture," Gonzalez said.

The city manager said the projected population's full build-out was 80,000, which it is estimated to reach in the year 2045.

As far as the slowed pace of the Shawnee's population growth from July 2004 to July 2005 -- only about 1,400 residents added, compared to the same, previous span the year before, which was more than 2,050 new residents -- Martin said he thought the increased price of new housing materials was affecting new housing rates. The number of combined building permits for residential housing -- for houses, duplexes and multi-family or apartments -- actually went up in 2005 from 2004, but the steep increase in fuel prices that have been driving higher construction costs began only after Hurricane Katrina struck last year, shutting down some domestic oil refineries.