Pitt County may be familiar with explosive population growth, but the projected addition of 11,000 East Carolina students promises to be a test those limits. A ballooning state population will add thousands to the rolls there and at Pitt Community College in the next decade.

If this community hopes to accommodate those numbers without considerable harm, it must adopt policies and forge partnerships that plan adequately for the future. The predicted growth can benefit Pitt County, but only with careful preparation.

A recent study of the University of North Carolina system conducted by East Carolina forecasts the addition of 11,000 students here in the coming decade, boosting enrollment from about 26,000 to 36,000. University officials already report an increase in applications this year and predict those figures to rise dramatically in the near future.

Pitt Community College officials expect their institution to see a comparable increase as the state and county populations grow. It recorded significant enrollment growth last year and has seen an increase in applications as well.

Pitt County is fortunate to have these two tremendous resources, which provide stability and economic strength in uncertain times. But the growth projections are sure to affect the makeup of this community.

On the roads, for instance, an influx of new students should prompt elected officials to conduct a thorough review of mass transit redundancies and work together on a cohesive system.

Public officials will need to protect neighborhood integrity as students arrive, making sure to communicate openly with neighborhood groups toward that end.

And a larger student population will necessitate a larger investment in law enforcement to bolster public safety for the young men and women who come to this community for an education. Every Pitt County resident should feel comfortable in this community without exception.

East Carolina experienced this level of growth over the preceding decade, and PCC has made strides to ready itself for the growing legions headed to those classrooms. Local officials should be aware of potential pitfalls, and they must employ careful planning as they look to the future.