Officials with both the cities of Cedar Park and Leander, along with Leander ISD, are looking into ways to proactively approach expected population growth in the area. Representatives from the cities and school district met with local realtors Wednesday during an event sponsored by the Williamson County Association of Realtors as part of an ongoing series “Explore Williamson County.” Each discussed what the growth has looked like in both of the communities and some current and planned projects. In Cedar Park, Assistant Director of Development Services Amy Link said the city developed a comprehensive plan in 2014 to address what were called missing places and planning areas throughout the city. The missing places included entertainment districts, an educational campus, walkable mixed-use districts and a business park. City staff identified seven undeveloped areas that could potentially be used for these types of development, including the Lime Creek Quarry on Anderson Mill Road and acreage along Parmer Lane. “Any of these properties could accommodate any one of those uses, and it’s basically up to the developer of the property to decide, ‘This is what I’m going to propose,’” Link said. The city has recently developed an interactive map accessible to the public where viewers can look at a variety of districts in the city, including zoning districts and parkland. The map can be viewed at www.cedarparktexas.gov/departments/information-services/cedar-park-atlas-interactive-mapping. Matt Smith, chief of staff with Leander ISD, discussed the district’s plan to build 10 schools—seven elementary, two middle and one high school—in 10 years. The district has a population of 38,266 students, and Smith said reports are projecting that number to increase to 50,226 by the 2026-27 school year. “With that type of growth, we want to make sure that we are supporting our students and families that are moving into these areas,” Smith said. In Leander, the city’s population crossed 50,000 people this year. Assistant City Manager Tom Yantis said the city has been looking into future land use designations and marked areas that could be used for neighborhood, community and activity centers to go along with growing residential and commercial districts. “It is pretty phenomenal what the changes are that are happening in our community,” Yantis said. The city also provides zoning and development maps through its website, which can be viewed at www.leandertx.gov/planning.