Area stakeholders met with the consulting firm developing a new comprehensive plan for Junction City and Geary County.

The meetings were held at the CL Hoover Opera House through out the day Thursday. Multiple issues were discussed during the meeting according to Dave Yearout, City / County Zoning Administrator.

“The issues with respect to the large number of developed lots that are not being built upon and what challenges that’s presented to the city and the county with respect to debt and restrictions on being able to deal with other issues because we have such a large debt.”

Both the county and city hired RDG Planning and Design of Omaha, Nebraska to develop the new plan.

Marty Shukert, Community and Regional Planning Principal with RDG, said that he wants to go over the role that Junction City plays in the region. “In a lot of ways Junction City is in fact the gateway to the region and has major possibilities.” Shukert listed those possibilities,” The interstate, the lake and the land that’s improved and served that is waiting to be developed if we can find the right mechanism to do it.”

A public planning work shop has been scheduled for December that will consist of working with maps and aerial photos. Conceptual diagrams will also be developed during the work shop according to Shukert, “For land use, transportation, parks, green spaces, trails and land utilization which is very important.”

The development of the new plan is expected to take a year to complete.