Manhattan Urban Planning Board Meeting Summary
Week of July 8, 2026
Planning board approves rezoning for new Planet Fitness on Poyntz Avenue
Local business owners express traffic concerns over gym development
Penrose Valley Addition plat approved near Kimball Avenue
Manhattan to launch downtown public asset study
Historic Yuma Street lodge rezoned for Yuma Street Cultural Center
Mike's Wrecker Service receives light industrial zoning
Planning board approves rezoning for new Planet Fitness on Poyntz Avenue
MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board unanimously approved a request Monday to rezone 421-467 E. Poyntz Ave. from a neighborhood commercial district to a planned unit development. The rezoning will allow for the demolition of part of the existing shopping center to construct a new Planet Fitness facility, reconfigure parking and reduce standard landscaping requirements. To avoid triggering a higher-level traffic study, the approved development agreement specifically prohibits the addition of beverage kiosks, such as drive-thru coffee shops, on the property.
Local business owners express traffic concerns over gym development
MANHATTAN, Kan. — During the public hearing for the new Planet Fitness development on East Poyntz Avenue, adjacent business owners raised concerns about potential traffic hazards resulting from the site's redesign. An adjacent business owner argued that the developer's plan to close a frontage road access point would funnel gym traffic directly through the business parking lot, creating safety risks for elderly patients.
Project representatives noted that while a travel easement exists between the lots, signage will be strategically placed to direct gym patrons to use the gym's designated main entrance to mitigate cut-through traffic.
Penrose Valley Addition plat approved near Kimball Avenue
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Developers are moving forward with the Penrose Valley Addition after the board approved a preliminary plat Monday for an 11.54-acre tract east of the Grandmere Parkway and Kimball Avenue roundabout. The currently undeveloped site, previously slated for a medical office campus, will be replatted into two parent lots containing nine individual building sites. The development marks the first local application of Manhattan's "pad lot" subdivision design, a concept added to the Manhattan Development Code last year. The approach allows developers to plat small, individual parcels centered exclusively around a building footprint, while the surrounding land is held and maintained as common open space by a property owners association. City planners noted the tool provides greater flexibility for businesses that prefer to own their specific building while sharing parking, driveway and landscaping responsibilities. Following board discussions regarding pedestrian connectivity, city staff confirmed the development will utilize existing water and sanitary sewer infrastructure and feature a dual-pond stormwater management plan designed to maintain pre-development runoff levels.
Manhattan to launch downtown public asset study
MANHATTAN, Kan. — As part of the "Beyond Tomorrow" downtown revitalization plan, Manhattan is preparing to hire a consultant to evaluate the future of city-owned properties. City staff announced they have issued a request for proposals to conduct a downtown public asset study, which will assess the potential of various public parking lots and structures. The study will explore whether these downtown assets should be redeveloped for new public uses or transitioned to the private market to spur further economic growth.
Historic Yuma Street lodge rezoned for Yuma Street Cultural Center
MANHATTAN, Kan. — A historic building at 930 Yuma St., constructed in 1916 and long utilized as a Masonic Lodge, will soon find new life as the Yuma Street Cultural Center. The planning board voted 6-0 Monday to rezone the 0.26-acre lot from a low-density residential district to a business commercial district to accommodate the project. During the meeting, Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills was praised for their efforts to preserve the culturally significant site, noting its deep ties to the local community and its historical role in Manhattan's Juneteenth celebrations.
Mike's Wrecker Service receives light industrial zoning
RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — The planning board unanimously recommended the administrative rezoning of a 5.9-acre tract on McDowell Creek Road from an agricultural district to a light industrial district Monday. The Riley County site, which has operated as Mike's Wrecker Service since 1982 and sits within a floodplain, was previously left with a legal nonconforming zoning status due to a series of historical zoning changes. The new light industrial designation matches the property's current use while explicitly precluding heavier industrial operations, such as salvage and junkyards.
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