KCK neighborhood skeptical about county's new comprehensive plan

Some neighbors in the Central Avenue area of Kansas City, Kan. are skeptical about the county's newest comprehensive plan, PlanKCK.

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County (UG) unveiled PlanKCK in August 2023.

The plan's long-term goal is to reinvest into the community to attract more residents, housing, businesses and clean up neighborhoods.

While most of the community is on board, some residents are weary this is something they've seen before.

Edgar Galicia, Executive Director of the Central Area Betterment Association , has lived in KCK for over 30 years and has seen other improvement plans fail.

"There was a project called "Healthy Campus" that was being promoted by the mayor then, and it was all about growth and bringing benefits to the community," Galicia said. "It didn't go anywhere."

However, Galicia does support the overall new plan because he knows there are issues in his community that need to be addressed.

"We need to bring more people to live here so that our tax base is actually enough to cover maintenance, so we can continue rebuilding and maintaining," he said.

He also said his organization is already working with the Unified Government to help tackle issues like traffic flow, environmental and sewage issues.

Gunnar Hand with the Unified Government addressed Galicia's concerns, saying it takes the entire community to keep everyone accountable.

"Our intent with this document is to look 25 years out into the future for the next phase, if you will, of how we’re going to propel our community forward," Hand said.

While it may not be a plan that sparks immediate results, Galicia believes it's a step in the right direction.