Princeton, Texas, has extended its halt on new housing projects due to capacity issues with utilities and infrastructure
You can see the growth when you drive along U.S. 380. There are new fast-food spots and homes popping up everywhere. Mayor Pro Tem Steven Deffibaugh, who’s been around since 1982, remembers when the population was just 1,200. Back then, there were only two lanes on the main road, no traffic lights, and fields of cotton.
According to the U.S. Census, Princeton’s population skyrocketed from just over 4,000 in 2005 to more than 28,000 now. Last year, they were named the third-fastest growing city in the U.S. after a 22% jump in residents.
But with all these new homes, city services are struggling to keep up. That’s why they put a temporary stop on new residential developments last September. It was set to end on January 21, but during the first city council meeting of the year, they decided to extend it for another six months.
Public Works Director Tommy Mapp said they need time to come up with a solid plan. They initially thought 150 days would be enough, but they added another month to really dig into the infrastructure needs, especially for water and sewer services.
A memo from the city staff pointed out that their water, wastewater, and road systems are already at or beyond capacity. Plus, they need more first responders to handle the growing population. Deffibaugh mentioned that with more people, the police and fire departments are getting busier, so they’re working on hiring more personnel.
Developments that were already in the works before the moratorium can still go ahead, and this pause doesn’t affect commercial projects. If you want to catch the full city council meeting, you can find it online.
