Flint Hills Regional Growth Plan
As a result of growth at Fort Riley and its impact on the region, the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), through the Department of Defense, awarded an $829,400 Planning Assistance Management Grant to develop the Flint Hills Regional Growth Plan. A 10% local match was provided by six regional partners. This planning initiative was the culmination of a collaborative effort of the Flint Hills Regional Task Force.
The six regional partners included Geary, Pottawatomie and Riley counties and the cities of Junction City, Wamego and Manhattan. Other participants included the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Geary County/Junction City Economic Development Commission, the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, the Council Grove/Morris County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Abilene, and Clay, Dickinson, Morris and Wabaunsee Counties. The City of Manhattan Community Development Department served as the grant administrator for the Project, however oversight of the consulting team included Steering and Policy Committees made up of representatives from across the Flint Hills Region.
In developing the Flint Hills Regional Growth Plan, EDAW and a team of six other consultants assessed current regional conditions, anticipated future impacts and needs, and identified and prioritizing actions to accommodate the anticipated regional growth resulting from the buildup at Fort Riley, with respect to: Land Use; Housing; Utilities and Infrastructure; Education; Transportation and Transit; Public Safety; Health Care and Mental Health; Social Services and Child Care; Workforce; Quality of Life; Regional Collaboration and Fiscal Impacts. The Growth Plan is not intended to supersede existing procedures and policies governing the mandates of different local agencies and service providers, but to provide an assessment and coordinated action plan to address the needs of the Region.
The Regional Growth Plan will help improve coordination within the region and insure more efficient and effective expenditure of federal, state and local funds to address the Region’s needs. The primary study area directly impacted by rapid regional growth included Geary, Riley and Pottawatomie Counties and Junction City, Manhattan and Wamego. Clay, Dickinson, Morris and Wabaunsee Counties are also impacted by regional growth to varying degrees.
The Growth Plan may be viewed online through the following links. Due to the large size of the document and the number of graphics and maps, the Plan is divided into a series of PDF files. Many of these files are large and may take a few minutes to download, depending on your computer and internet connection.
Executive Summary
Section 1 Introduction
Section 2 Land Use
Section 3 Housing
Section 4 Utilities & Infrastructure
Section 5 Education
Section 6 Transportation
Section 7 Public Safety
Section 8 Health Care and Mental Health
Section 9 Social Services and Child Care
Section 10 Workforce
Section 11 Quality of Life
Section 12 Regional Coordination
Section 13 Fiscal Impact
Section 14 Other Relevant Information (Public Survey)
Section Summaries
Supplemental Materials
