If there was any doubt about the growth of Gainesville and Hall County, last week's census figures made it official: We are officially living in a boom town.

Population figures released by the U.S. Census bureau show that the Gainesville metro area ranked fourth in the nation in rate of growth, 4.5 percent, from 2006 to 2007. Another 7,784 people called Gainesville-Hall home during that period, raising the local population to 180,175. That number likely is even higher as census figures tend to undercount the Latino population.

It's clear that we no longer live in a small, sleepy Southern town. We are a dynamic community about to take its place on the regional and national stage.

"This means we're in a great place to live," said Kit Dunlap, president and chief executive of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce.

There's no doubt about that. But the decisions we make in the near future will decide if that will continue to be the case.

Growth can bring advantages, such as a diverse economy that has kept our area from feeling much of the pinch the nation is suffering through. So far, Gainesville's charm and character have not suffered much from the influx of new residents, as most have blended into the area seamlessly as neighbors, co-workers and friends.

But there are negatives to growth, as we all know. The crush of people can bring traffic jams, crowded schools, an increase in crime and the ongoing task of how to provide homes, jobs and recreation for so many.

Whether this growth is a plus or minus is a moot point. It's here; the question is how we deal with it. The right moves can keep our quality of life high even as more people seek to live and work here. The wrong moves - or no moves at all - could turn our hometown into a bedroom community devoid of commercial balance, or an unsightly string of strip malls reminiscent of some soulless suburbs.

The Vision 2030 study conducted by the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce addressed key growth areas by establishing a blueprint for how the community should adapt to each in the future. We need such forward thinking now more than ever to reach the desired result, or else growth will overwhelm us before we can act.

Community leaders must move quickly to address challenges in several areas to maintain high standards for all residents:

Traffic. Anyone who tries to negotiate Gainesville's streets during rush hour knows that the city's arteries can't handle the crush of motorists we now have. Yet building and expanding roads isn't always an option, especially in the middle of town. Planners need to find ways to expand public transportation while working to ease congestion in high-volume areas.

Infrastructure. The addition of sewer throughout Hall County has inched forward while residential growth has taken giant steps. The county can't maintain an effective residential-commercial balance, or handle the new residents we have, without an effective plan to provide sewer service to all. Other infrastructure concerns need to be high priorities as well, including upgrades to water systems, storm drainage, bridges and other public facilities.

Schools. No segment has struggled more to keep up with the pace of growth than our educational systems. Gainesville's schools have grown beyond the population boom at a 7 percent rate. Much of that has come from Latino students, who add language and cultural challenges.

The systems continue to plan and build new schools to house hundreds of new students. Beyond that, they also face the challenge of hiring enough new teachers to keep the student-instructor ratio within acceptable state levels. It's not enough to have adequate classroom space; the quality of our education needs to remain high in order to keep Gainesville-Hall as a desired destination.

Public safety: The Hall County Sheriff's Office, Gainesville Police Department and both city and county fire and emergency service agencies do a superb job, and have been justifiably lauded for their efforts. Hall's new detention center and upgrade in communications are big steps forward, but we can't take anything for granted. More resources and personnel will be needed for each as the area grows.

Jobs. Local leaders have pushed to bring more commercial growth to our area to match jobs with workers. While many Hall Countians already commute, we need to maintain a local industrial base independent of metro Atlanta. Businesses must follow rooftops to balance the tax burden and create the kind of integrated community we want. The goal is to have everything people need right here -- jobs, shopping, restaurants and entertainment - not just subdivisions full of two-car garages.

Recreation. This is a current strength, as both the county and city parks departments have been recognized for their first-rate efforts. The Frances Meadows Center set to open this summer and the J.A. Walters Family YMCA that debuted last year are prime examples of great new places to exercise, swim and play. But more will be needed down the road to ensure that residents don't spent their leisure time and money in someone else's county.

For a closer look at these and other growth topics, check Sunday's print edition of The Times for our annual Progress edition, six sections dedicated to examining what's new and what's next in health and safety, sports and leisure, business and industry, arts and community, education and government and our poultry industry. Each section examines how our community has responded to growth, including the popularity of the Allen Creek soccer complex, the emergence of local artists, innovation and expansion of local industries and the push for more schools, public safety and recreation.

By addressing each area of concern effectively, local leaders can be assured that metro Gainesville will not just be bigger but better, and that the new residents we welcome will contribute to our quality of life, not diminish it.

The time to get busy is now. We can't stop the clock on growth and wait to catch up later.

But while these challenges appear daunting, it's important to keep in mind that a growing area with multiple concerns still is what we want to be. As University of Georgia demographer Doug Bachtel puts it: "There are downsides to growth, but it's better than the alternative."