Killeen, Round Rock growth pushes into Lampasas County
By David Lowe, staff writer, Lampasas County Dispatch Record Volume 104--Number 60 Tuesday July 28,2009
Lampasas County appears poised for a continuing population increase, fueled in large part by rapid growth in Killeen and the Austin area.
Killeen and Round Rock both rank among the 10 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more, according to an analysis recently released by Baylor University's Center for Community Research and Development.
Round Rock, the second-fastest-growing city on the list, grew 8.2 percent between July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008, according to the study. Population figures were based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Killeen ranked ninth with a 3.8 percent population increase over the same time period.
Lampasas County had 17,7623 residents at the time of the 2000 national census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the county had experienced a population increase of 19.4 percent, to 21,197 residents, as of July 1, 2008.
Lampasas' population, officially recorded in the 2000 census as 6,786, increase to 7,975 by July 1, 2008, according to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau Population Division.
The addition of soldiers at Fort Hood has contributed to population growth in east Lampasas County, Lampasas Mayor Judy Hetherly said. At the same time, the extension of toll roads has allowed Austin-area suburbs to grow toward Lampasas, the mayor added.
"It's bringing Austin to our city limits," Ms. Hetherly said.
Although funding for a loop around Copperas Cove remains uncertain, Ms. Hetherly said Lampasas' population growth likely will increase when road construction begins.
"Copperas Cove is such a bottleneck, and if the bypass comes through, it will direct people over here." she said.
From 2007 in the early 2008, The Kuker Company worked with quite a few real estate buyers from the Killeen area, as well as from Round Rock, Georgetown and other cities on the northern edge of Austin, owner Ron Kuker said. Recent clients have included military officers and Austin-area buyers of a variety of ages, he said. Some middle-aged buyers, Kuker said, look at Lampasas for a second home or for a place to retire. For more information on The Kuker Company, click here.
"A lot of people in Texas grew up in small towns, and now they want to get back to them -- not necessarily to the town they grew up in but to that kind of atmosphere," Kuker said.
The U.S. highways passing through Lampasas make the city a "crossroads," the real estate broker said, and Kuker said the combination of retailers, outdoor recreation at Sulpher Creek and medical centers like Rollins Brook Community Hospital also attracts new residents.
"Medical facilities are a big one," Kuker said.
Taylor Creek Elementary in ease Lampasas County and the new Lampasas High School campus, both opening in August, also provided an impetus for families to move to the area, Kuker said.
The new high school is designed to accommodate 1,600 students -- about 550 more than were enrolled at the beginning of the 2008-09 term -- and Taylor Creek Elementary is built to hold 650.
As Lampasas grows, Ms. Hetherly hopes to attract new businesses to the city and develop recreational facilities, including a civic center and a possible bird- or butterfly- watching area at the recently donated Rex and Linda Johnson Park land.
Ms. Hetherly also believes plans for a higher-education center in Lampasas will allow the city better to serve its growing population, as well as students from as far away as Evant, San Saba, and Hamilton.
"I really believe we're going to become a regional destinations," she said.
Challenges remain as Lampasas County growth continues. Subdivisions have begun to fill up in east Lampasas County, Kuker said, and new ones are limited within Lampasas. While homes priced at less than $100,000 remain plentiful, buyers looking for homes worth more than $200,000 typically have fewer options, he added.
Ms. Hetherly believes one of Lampasas' greatest needs is for a positive vision of growth.
"We don't think big here," the mayor said. "We need to think outside the box and be willing to do things differently."
