BENNETT, Colo. — Bennett is growing — fast.
Under cover of wide-open skies, you're greeted with wide-open arms when you arrive in the town of Bennett.
The eastern Colorado town, which is in both Arapahoe and Adams counties, has nearly doubled in population in recent years, and with that growth has come new homes, new businesses, and new challenges.
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But residents and local leaders say what makes Bennett special hasn't gone anywhere.
"We're growing now. We're having a lot of new houses, new businesses coming over to town," said Citlalli Buccholz, a Bennett resident of at least 10 years.
That growth is something Mayor Whitney Oakley has watched closely. When she moved to Bennett, the town had about 2,500 residents. It now sits at around 4,500.
The town is updating its comprehensive growth plan and is adding a cultural center to house town and county services. Development near the new Civic Center Park is also underway.
"We help to guide it along in a way that is smart and responsible," Oakley said. "I think we've done a really great job of that planning, and where development comes in, how it comes in, and how it supports the community."
New businesses are beginning to open up in the area. Launch Pad Brewery is one of them — and for resident and beertender Matthew Azulay, it fills a long-standing gap in Bennett.
"We have like a lot of fast food around here, but very few places that we can just gather and just hang out. I think the brewery is the perfect spot for that," Azulay said.
Azulay said the growth is already creating new connections.
"The amount of people that I've met just working here has been crazy," he said.
He's also hopeful more businesses will follow.
"I did talk to a lady the other day about putting in a bookstore here, which I would be really excited about," Azulay said.
Growth is also being felt inside Bennett's schools. Azulay's wife teaches third grade, and class sizes are climbing.
"Bigger schools would definitely be nicer," he said. "I know she had 24 this year, and it's only expected to grow."
Buchholz echoed that, noting the incoming kindergarten class is already unusually large.
"I think we already have 100 students for kindergarten, and that's usually not the norm," Buchholz said.
Still, for those who call Bennett home, the soul of the town remains intact.
"It still feels like that sense of small community where everybody knows each other," Buchholz said.
For Azulay, the message to anyone considering a move is simple.
"This is the place to be," he said.
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