Growth gets NLV noticed

Thursday, June 22, 2006 | 7:09 a.m.

As far as the U.S. Census Bureau is concerned, North Las Vegas is the Avis of American cities when it comes to population growth.

And as far as North Las Vegas officials are concerned, that's just fine, because they aren't obsessed about becoming Hertz.

In the Census Bureau's latest list of fastest-growing cities, North Las Vegas ranked No. 2, up one spot from its previous ranking. The city averaged about 1,500 new residents a month from July 2004 to July 2005, according to the census figures.

North Las Vegas also had to settle for No. 2 in the five-year growth rate of cities of 100,000 or more, according to census estimates released this week.

Henderson ranked 10th on the 2000-2005 list but 20th on the 2004-2005 list, signaling a slowdown in that city's growth. Las Vegas ranked 42nd in the annual list and 33rd over the five-year period.

In the annual growth rate, North Las Vegas was outpaced by Elk Grove, Calif., a city in suburban Sacramento that grew 11.6 percent from July 2004 to July 2005.

North Las Vegas' growth rate during that 12-month period was 11.4 percent, raising its population from 158,540 to 176,635. If the city had grown by an additional 253 residents, it would have surpassed Elk Grove to claim the No. 1 spot.

Over the past five years, North Las Vegas has grown by 61,147 residents, or 52.9 percent, topped only by the 58.1 percent growth in Gilbert, Ariz.

The No. 1 ranking generates national publicity for the community that achieves it.

" We will get there," said Sharon Powers, executive director of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

"It's obvious we would like to be No. 1, and I think the next time the numbers come out we will be No. 1. Being No. 2 is nothing to feel bad about because the city has made such major strides in such a short period of time. We have gone from not being on anybody's radar screen to where we are at today."

Some North Las Vegas officials are not so sure they want to be the biggest dot on the radar screen.

"I don't know if we want that top spot," said North Las Vegas Councilman Robert Eliason. "If you stop and think, it means a lot more infrastructure that has to be put in place. There is a lot more stress in being No. 1."

North Las Vegas resident Harvey Ferber pointed out that the city doesn't have the road system in place now to carry all the traffic generated by new development. But he added that it's human nature to want to reach No. 1, even though in this case it could mean more traffic and other potential headaches, economic and otherwise.

"I guess it's not too bad to be No. 2, but like Avis says, we will just have to try harder," Ferber said.

North Las Vegas already would be No. 1 if the Census Bureau used the estimates calculated by the city and state. The city, which uses building permits and relies on mail carriers to gauge housing vacancy, puts North Las Vegas' population at 182,159, about 5,500 more than the Census Bureau.

The state, which uses the city estimate along with other factors such as account utility connections, driver's licenses and school enrollment, pegged the city's population at 180,219. And the Census Bureau itself relies on a formula based in part on building permits and mobile home shipments, spokesman Robert Bernstein said.

North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose said whichever population figures or rankings are used, he is pleased with the signal the numbers send.

"I think we are pleased about continuing to be a place where people want to move to," Rose said. "Our concern is making sure we provide a high quality of life and we are not growing for the sake of growing. We want quality growth."

North Las Vegas projects its population will reach 194,464 next month, an increase of 6.7 percent over its July 2005 total. By 2030, the city expects to reach 500,000.