Reno County accepts RDG housing study; sets public hearing on Neighborhood Revitalization Program and approves residential housing incentive agreement

The Reno County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a housing study prepared by RDG Planning and Design and to advance two related initiatives: setting a public hearing on a Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) and approving a development agreement intended to encourage residential housing growth.

The study, presented by Amy Haas of RDG Planning and Design, provides a market analysis and community input that the firm used to estimate future housing needs and recommend policy strategies. “We come out to a demand of about 2,000 units,” Haas told the commission during her presentation.

The study’s nut graf: Commissioners said the document will be used as a supporting exhibit for local incentive policy work and as a tool when applying for state housing programs. County staff recommended adding the RDG study to the NRP preamble to justify the policy’s focus on preserving and rehabilitating older housing stock.

Amy Haas summarized the study’s principal findings, saying the county likely experienced a census undercount in Hutchinson and that about half the county’s housing stock was built before 1960. The report also flagged a mismatch between household incomes and available housing: “we actually have quite a few homes that are affordable to our households making between $25,000 and $50,000, but we don't have a lot of housing on the other end,” Haas said. The study estimates countywide demand concentrated in Hutchinson and South Hutchinson, and recommends strategies including gap financing, a local development fund, zoning updates, targeted reinvestment, and incentives for housing for people aged 55 and older.

Commission discussion focused on how the study should be used. Commissioner Hirsch asked for more community-level specificity and whether consultants had conducted site visits to smaller towns; Haas replied that the study combined census data with listening sessions and community outreach and that committee representation included small towns. Commissioners and staff discussed using the study when applying for programs from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation and similar entities.

Formal actions followed the presentation. The commission voted to accept the RDG housing study (roll call: Commissioner Hurst — yes; Commissioner Friesen — yes; Commissioner Parks — yes; Commissioner Weitzel — yes; Commissioner Bogner — yes; one commissioner identified in the roll call as Belkner indicated yes). The board then moved to set the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) draft for a public hearing in February (hearing set for Feb. 12) so the document can be published and noticed; staff told commissioners the NRP would be published alongside the RDG study as supporting material.

Separately, commissioners considered a development agreement for residential housing growth (a county incentive program distinct from the NRP). After debate about eligibility and whether incentives should favor in-county homeowners who sell and move to new housing versus incentives for new residents or first-time buyers, the commission approved the development agreement. Roll call on that motion recorded: Commissioner Hurst — yes; Commissioner Friesen — yes; Commissioner Parks — yes; Commissioner Whitesell — no; Commissioner Bogner — yes. The document will be implemented and monitored, with staff noting the county can refine eligibility and other terms based on application patterns.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said the RDG study provides the evidence base for future grant applications and local policies aimed at stabilizing neighborhoods, encouraging reinvestment, and expanding housing choices for aging residents and workers the county hopes to retain. Officials noted ARPA and other federal funds previously used for housing are time-limited and the county must plan for ongoing funding.

Next steps: The board instructed staff to include the RDG study as an exhibit to the NRP preamble and to publish the NRP for a February public hearing. Staff may also begin implementing the approved residential housing incentive agreement and return with recommended administrative procedures or revisions after initial applications are received.