photo by Theodore Wiesehan: Construction equipment sits near the site of a new housing development on the north edge of Seward.

by Theodore Wiesehan

    To some, growth represents prosperity. It boosts the local economy, provides more funding for schools and services and signifies a community on the move.
     Others view growth as a nuisance. Expansion brings increased traffic and other alterations that can impact the small town way of life.
     Whatever folks' opinions regarding the merits of growth, one fact is undeniable - Seward is growing steadily and likely will continue to.
     "In the last three, four years, we've probably matched up 50 houses a year," Seward Building Inspector John Hughes said.
     So far Seward is about 12 new homes below that average for 2006, Hughes added. One new subdivision was approved for construction in 2006 - Seward Heights, third addition, just northwest of the elementary school.
     In addition to construction within the city, Seward maintains jurisdiction over new building within two miles of the city limits, though no new subdivisions are planned in the outer area.
     "We just turned one (subdivision) down," Hughes said. "But I believe in the long run, we'll probably get something out there."
     While new rural projects have not popped up within Seward's jurisdiction, Seward County Zoning and Planning Director Scott Stuhr said rural housing in the county continues to grow at a steady pace.
     Stuhr reported 27 new homes in county jurisdiction - area outside the jurisdiction of cities or villages - for 2006. That number is an increase over last year's total by three homes, but a drop from the 2004 total of 33.
     "That's about where it's been the previous years, for the last four to five years," Stuhr said of the total of new houses this year.
     Much of Seward's new growth - like Seward Heights - is occurring at the city's northern edge, due to the availability of reasonably priced farmland and a lack of geographic hurdles, Hughes said.
     "One of the qualifications for us to annex it is we have to provide the same services in the annexation within a one-year period," he said.
     Such a requirement makes expansion across natural obstacles difficult.
     "We kind of stay away from going west," he said. "It's better farm ground, and we've pretty much developed as far west as we can go without jumping the flood plain and the Blue River."
     While Plum Creek presented a stumbling block to eastward expansion, Hughes said the city successfully made the jump with the Valley View Estates addition, opening the door for future growth in that direction.
     In fact, the only limit Hughes foresees to eastern expansion is the aroma of Newsom Dairy.
     And, while the city has not seen much recent growth to the south, Hughes expects that will change in the near-future.
     "It's not going to be much longer before somebody who has some land to the south of town will start putting some houses out there," he said.
     Building new subdivisions is not as simple as finding land and putting up houses, however.
     After acquiring land, a developer must provide Hughes with a preliminary plat.
     "(A plat is) just a map of the lots, the streets that have to go in, and where the water, sewer and streets are going to be located," Hughes said.
     The plat then goes to the city planning commission, which makes a recommendation to the city council.
     If the preliminary plat is approved by the city council, a final plat is created, taking into account any changes mandated by the council's decision. The final plat must go through the same steps as the preliminary plat and be approved by the council before work on the subdivision may begin.
     "Usually they don't get denied," Hughes said of the applications. "Usually they just get modified in their concepts, such as roads leading in and out of the subdivision."
     Access roads are a very important factor in Hughes's consideration of a plat.
     "I like to have two entrances," he said, "in case one gets blocked off in an emergency."
     As for Seward's resources, Hughes said the town is well-equipped to handle the growth.
     "Because we put together that new water treatment plant we can expand that," he said. "The wells are fine. We're looking pretty good."
     While Hughes said the drop in new homes this year did not constitute a major change, he said the type of houses being constructed in Seward has shifted in recent years.
     "As a whole, right now the kind of residential housing that we're seeing is fairly expensive homes," he said. "We're seeing houses now in the 200s. We're not seeing in the 150s, but in the 200s, to three and four hundreds."
     Hughes said that uncertainty over fuel prices and the economy has removed entry-level home buyers from the market and, as a result, developers are gearing their efforts to those wealthy enough to remain unaffected by higher fuel costs and inflation.
     "Entry-level home buyers aren't the most affluent when it comes to cash flow," he said. "If interest rates go up, let's say, you can still make that adjustment over a period of time. Gas prices scare people."