The city of McKinney is growing at a rapid pace, and city planners are working to keep up with the growth by updating the city’s comprehensive plan, which acts as a guide to City Council members, planners and several other city departments. The plan has not been updated since 2004.

Since the plan’s last update, the city has grown by nearly 70,000 people, which is why the city has been working during the past year to begin updating the plan that will lead the city to its build-out projection of more than 300,000 residents.

The city’s planning department began work on the comprehensive plan in summer 2015. Since then city planners have met with city officials, residents and an advisory committee.

City Planner Jason April said the comprehensive plan effort is getting close to completing the community-wide vision phase, in which the emphasis is on data-gathering through public input meetings.

“In the upcoming months we will move on to the vision framework phase, where the various elements (i.e., land-use strategy, the development strategy update and town center coordination, etc.) will be drafted and developed by city staff and the consultant team,” he said.

The next community workshop will be Jan. 21 from 6-8 p.m. at the Senior Recreation Center, 1400 S. College St.

This community workshop is a continuation of the community visioning and workshop efforts that took place at the Oct. 24 community brainstorming session and will focus on three alternative development scenarios that will be crafted based on previous public input. Participants will engage in roundtable discussions to decide what scenario best fits the McKinney of 2040.

Official invitations and announcements will be made in early January. For information, visit www.onemckinney2040.com.