Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board
Week of October 21, 2026
Planning board approves rezoning for Skyway Drive property
Self-storage facility set to return following K-18 expansion
Utility extensions prompt shift to urban-scale development
Planners note ongoing slowdown in local development
City begins work on next comprehensive plan with community input
Planning board approves rezoning for Skyway Drive property
MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board unanimously approved a request to rezone a 3.21-acre property at 4790 Skyway Drive at its Oct. 19 meeting. The board voted 6-0 to change the property's designation from an out-of-city highway business district to an industrial and commercial services district with an airport overlay. The rezoning will allow for the construction of a new self-storage facility on the site, which sits southwest of the city near the Manhattan Regional Airport. The rezoning also resolved a zoning gap left after the parcel was annexed into the city last year, when there was no equivalent municipal zoning district attached to the land.
Self-storage facility set to return following K-18 expansion
MANHATTAN, Kan. — A self-storage facility on Skyway Drive is poised to be rebuilt years after its predecessor was demolished to accommodate the K-18 expansion. Originally developed around 2007, the former facility was torn down when the Kansas Department of Transportation acquired the right of way to realign the highway into a four-lane expressway. With the property now annexed and rezoned, property owner KS Dev. Co. LLC — the local entity operating as Axis Self Storage, whose principal owners include Tom Abbott, Thomas Weeks, and David Adkins — plans to build a new storage facility on the triangular tract of land.
Utility extensions prompt shift to urban-scale development
MANHATTAN, Kan. — The extension of water and sanitary sewer services along K-18 has paved the way for urban-scale development southwest of the city. While the 2015 Manhattan Urban Area Comprehensive Plan originally identified the area for agricultural land use due to a lack of infrastructure, city staff noted the corridor has largely transitioned to commercial and industrial use. Planners stated that recent utility upgrades have now made properties along the highway suitable for modern commercial development.
Planners note ongoing slowdown in local development
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Local development activity remains sluggish in the city, according to planning officials. While providing an update to the Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board, staff noted that things are currently "pretty slow in the development realm." The lull in commercial and residential project applications is allowing the city's planning division to shift its focus toward long-term foundational projects.
City begins work on next comprehensive plan with community input
MANHATTAN, Kan. — City planners are officially laying the groundwork for the next Manhattan Urban Area Comprehensive Plan update, which serves as the primary guiding document for the city's future land use, growth, and infrastructure development. Staff announced at the meeting that the planning division will handle the bulk of the update in-house, including the drafting of the main body of work and all associated geographic mapping, while outside experts will be hired to conduct a fiscal impact analysis of different community growth scenarios. Local residents will also have a formal seat at the table during the drafting process, as city staff confirmed the planning effort will feature significant community engagement, including the formation of a citizen advisory committee and an official steering committee to help guide planners and provide community feedback.
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