Planning director previews Riley County Together 2040 draft; public hearings set for Dec. 1 and Dec. 8

Amanda Webb, Riley County planning director, updated commissioners on the Riley County Together 2040 comprehensive‑plan draft and the adoption timeline, saying the draft is available on the county website and that Stantec and staff are finishing changes gleaned from public input and three recent work sessions.

"The draft plan is available on our website and has been for the last several weeks," Webb said. She outlined two upcoming public hearings — Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board on Dec. 1 and Riley County Planning Board on Dec. 8 — and said the commission will consider adoption at its mid‑December meeting after staff incorporate the remaining edits.

During review of the plan's vision, guiding principles and core values, commissioners proposed edits such as replacing the word "sustainable" with "responsible" growth and emphasizing access to diverse housing as an alternative to an exact definition of "affordable housing." Webb and commissioners discussed phrasing aimed at balancing rural preservation (the Flint Hills heritage) with growth and equity objectives.

The planning director said the draft on the website is an interim version: staff are finalizing updates made in recent work sessions and will post an updated copy on Monday before the public hearings. The board encouraged staff to continue outreach and to incorporate feedback from planning boards before county adoption.

Next steps: staff will post the revised draft, hold hearings on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, gather testimony and return recommendations to the commission ahead of the adoption vote.