NLV stays on list of fast-growing U.S. cities

By Cara McCoy, Jean Reid Norman

Thursday, July 9, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Last week’s list of the nation’s 25 fastest-growing large cities included only one from Nevada: North Las Vegas.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the smallest municipality in the valley had the 19th highest rate of growth among cities with populations of 100,000 or more, based on data estimates collected from July 1, 2007, to July 1, 2008.

North Las Vegas’ population increased

2.9 percent, from 211,109 to 217,253, the report noted.

State demographer Jeff Hardcastle said North Las Vegas’ appearance on the list wasn’t surprising.

“North Las Vegas has a slightly smaller base population than Henderson or the city of Las Vegas, so you’re going to end up with higher growth based on how numbers and percentages work,” he said. “It’s not terribly surprising that they’re growing faster than other parts of the state.”

He cited expansion in the Aliante community and nearby housing developments in the northern part of the city as factors in its growth.

Though they didn’t appear on the list of the fastest-growing, other Clark County cities showed growth. Las Vegas grew from 556,260 in 2007 to 558,383 in 2008; Henderson increased from 248,199 in 2007 to 252,064 in 2008, according to census data.

Boulder City showed a slight decrease, from 14,821 to 14,720, and Mesquite showed an increase, from 15,531 to 16,444.

Hardcastle predicted the numbers for this year will be “at best, flat,” meaning little to no growth.

He did say it is unlikely that the state would lose population because the economy isn’t much better in other parts of the country. He also said between the high cost of moving and the high percentage of people locked into mortgages — many of them upside down on their homes — most residents will stay put.

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If a doorknob or window latch needs to be replaced on one of the many historic houses in Boulder City, a trip to one of the town’s two hardware stores — or even to one of the home improvement warehouses in Henderson — is not likely to help.

Many of the owners of those homes are committed to keeping them as authentic as possible, but no one makes the brass hardware to match what was used when they were built in 1931, as workers moved to town to aid in construction of the Hoover Dam.

Neighbors find they can sometimes turn to one another for the odd part that may be stashed in a garage. Now the city’s Historic Preservation Committee is trying to find a way to help those neighbors find one another and the parts they need on a more regular basis.

The committee has enlisted the help of the Boulder City-Hoover Dam Museum as the caretaker of any leftover parts that might be donated and is trying to get the word out that material might be available.

The museum’s involvement is crucial, city planner Susan Danielewicz said, because legal issues prevent the city from maintaining an inventory of spare parts, either through her department or the preservation committee.

“It’s too much of a liability for the city,” she said. “If the city becomes the owner of the goods, it cannot just give that stuff away.” A formal process must be followed for the disposal of city property, she explained.