Locals and officials say one of the draws to Leland is the housing market.
LELAND, N.C. -- The town of Leland in Brunswick County is said to be one of the fastest growing communities along North Carolina’s southern coast.
In 1990, town officials say the population reached about 2,000. Now, there is an estimated 10,000 people living in Leland.
"It's going to be another metropolis when they get finished with it,” said resident Jerald Molitor of the area’s growth. “It's going to be great."
To handle the growth, Town Manager Bill Farris says they have traffic engineers and developers working together on a master plan for the area. He says the challenge is trying to accommodate the old with the new.
News 14 Carolina’s Breanna Walden has more on the growth in Leland.
"Because our population is growing, we're getting a larger share of some of the revenue streams; we're getting a larger share of retail stores,” said Farris.
And with the growth comes more people to police. Leland’s police chief Timothy Jayne plans to hire more officers in the coming year. "The biggest crime problem in Leland is theft from construction sites and houses under development,” said the chief.
While many agree that the town is growing fast, some disagree on whether or not it’s a good thing.
"Oh heavens, the expansion’s getting so bad their destroying all of our trees, I don't like that,” said resident Robert Showers.
“Whenever I’m having to go to work, it’s kind of hard for me to get across the bridge to go to work,” added resident Wendy Lee.
Locals and officials say one of the draws to Leland is the housing market. They say it’s still affordable and is close to a number of beautiful beaches and golf courses.