Wamego City Manager Presents Timeline for Rural Housing Incentive District Process

Wamego City Manager Stacie Eichem presented details on the timeline and process for establishing a Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) at Monday's Pottawatomie County Commission meeting.

The RHID would support a new housing development in Wamego that includes plans for a 28-lot subdivision in its first phase. The initiative comes amid ongoing housing concerns in the community.

"We know there's a housing need in Wamego," Eichem told commissioners while outlining the multi-step approval process required for the district.

Eichem explained that the county had already passed its first resolution, which identified a broad area that would benefit from the RHID housing program. The next steps involve the state reviewing the proposal, followed by the City Commission setting public hearing dates and establishing specific physical boundaries.

"Once that hearing date is set, we need to let the county and the school know," said Eichem, clarifying that the 30-day veto period for taxing entities begins after the public hearing and passage of an ordinance setting the boundaries.

The financial structure proposed estimates the average home value at $350,000, with six homes expected to be built annually. Eichem noted that similar RHID projects in other communities have been completed ahead of schedule when housing demand is strong.

"A 25-year RHID was completed closer to year 15," Eichem said, referencing information shared by the Dodge City manager. "If more than six homes are built per year, it's going to be paid off sooner."

When questioned about the financing mechanism, Eichem clarified that if the city issues bonds, the development agreement would make the developer responsible for those bonds. "If the homes don\'t sell, the developer would be responsible for that payment," she said.

Commissioner Dee McKee inquired about lot sizes in the development, with Eichem confirming the lots would average approximately 10,000 square feet, meeting the city's subdivision regulations minimum of 7,520 square feet with no variances being sought.

The presentation was part of ongoing communication efforts between the city and county regarding the RHID process.