It looks

like the eastern Coweta city of Senoia is slowly being

discovered by residents wanting to call Coweta County

home.

In figures

released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau, Senoia's

population was estimated at 1,545 for July 1, 1998.

In 1990,

the city's population stood at 956, so the city has grown

a whopping 61.6 percent during the last decade.

Neighboring

Sharpsburg also experienced a surge in growth with its

population jumping from 224 to 332, for a 48.2 percent

increase.

The county

seat of Newnan saw its population jumping from 12,497 to

14,027 for a 12.2 percent increase.

The

population increases are evident to residents who travel

the eastern part of the county on a daily basis. New

shops and subdivisions are sprouting up like mushrooms

and residents are slowly starting to experience some of

the growth related problems, such as traffic, that

residents on the north side of Atlanta have experienced

for years.

Since

taking office two years ago, Senoia Mayor Joan Trammell

has warned residents that growth would come to the city

and city officials had to be prepared to control it.

During her

administration, Trammell imposed a moratorium that was

just lifted this May on new subdivisions and commercial

development until the town's Planning Commission could

rework the city's zoning regulations.

The city

might even surpass its current growth rate in the next

few years, because the city recently approved

negotiations to purchase the Southern Mills wastewater

treatment facility and provide sewerage to its residents

and downtown business area.

City

officials estimate the entire city could have sewer

service within five years, which could spark a commercial

boom in the city that lies at the crossroads of two major

state highways.

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