The Finish Line Is Just The Beginning

The finish line to adopting the Manhattan Development Code (MDC) is in sight! The Community Development Department recently advertised for the public hearing by the Manhattan Urban Area Planning to adopt the Manhattan Development Code. The Planning Board’s public hearing will be on November 1, 2021, at 7:00 pm in the City Commission Room at City Hall, 1101 Poyntz Avenue. If all goes well, the Planning Board will forward a recommendation of approval to the City Commission, which will hold a public hearing for the first reading of an ordinance to adopt the MDC on December 1, 2021.

The Final Draft of the MDC can be found here.

There are still several project elements related to the MDC that need to be completed; such as finalizing new application forms and procedures and finishing up a user guide to help people navigate the new set of regulations, applications, procedures.

Also, the MDC is not set in stone. City staff will work with applicants and consultants to make sure the new development code, the new applications, etc. meet the objectives of the MDC and are easy to use. We will continually evaluate the MDC and make needed changes. We anticipate routinely discussing the effectiveness of the MDC with the public and the Planning Board over the next 18 – 24 months. So, there is still plenty of work to do, even during and after the adoption process.

There is a long list of folks that need to be thanked for their time and energies reviewing, providing comments, and editing the Manhattan Development Code to prepare it for final adoption. This list includes numerous business owners and neighbors, stakeholders, such as developers, architects, landscape architects, and engineers, the Ordinance Advisory Committee, the Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board, City Commission, and City staff from the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, Fire Department, Risk Reduction Department, Public Works, and the Community Development Department.

Although the final draft of the MDC has been completed and the public hearings have been set, edits of issues can still be made by recommendation of the Planning Board and approval of the City Commission. If you have any questions or comments, please free to contact the Community Development Department.

Thanks again to all of those that have helped get the Manhattan Development Code to this point!