Dallas County Planning & Development staff and project consultants with MSA Professional Services, Inc., pose for a photo at the Adel Sweet Corn Festival on Friday, August 7, 2026, highlighting the Dallas County Comprehensive Plan update. Photo Courtesy of Dallas County
Dallas County is looking for input from residents and local business owners about the County’s future.
Planning & Development Director Dave Hockett says Dallas County is updating its long-range Comprehensive Plan, which serves as a 20-year roadmap for land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure and preservation of natural resources.
It was last updated in 1998 and he talks about why a new plan is needed.
“It was a fine plan for 1998 when Dallas County was at its current growth rates back then. But as we’ve evolved, with the growth along Interstate 80, the growth of the cities pushing out into the county, it’s just time to re-address all that fast growth, the road connections, and just the changing desires of development trends, the residents’ desires for different amenities that may not be available today.”
Hockett details that the County is working with MSA Professionals, a planning and engineering firm out of Des Moines, to update the plan. He shares that the 12-15 month process is just getting underway as a steering committee will be formed shortly along with a technical committee of county staff.
Hockett explains that a key part of a successful comprehensive plan is to have input from local residents.
“The best comprehensive plans are the ones that have a lot of public input. Without public input, it’s staff, it’s professionals trying to draw their own conclusions. So the more input we have, the better we can do and give them the plan that they want.”
The first opportunity for residents to share their vision for the County’s future was at a community engagement pop-up booth during the Adel Sweet Corn Festival on August 7.
Future events to share perspectives will be announced on the Dallas County website and official social media channels. Find more information about the comprehensive plan process by clicking here.
To hear more, check out today’s Let’s Talk Dallas County program.
