The Master Plan is a policy guide that describes in text and graphics the city’s goals for directing future land development.

The Master Plan can be used by homeowners, homes associations and neighborhood organizations to identify proposed land uses and planned roadways.

Developers and landowners use the plan to identify where they can locate and, for residential uses, at what density they can build. This is for new development proposed at the fringes of the city, for redevelopment or new development within established areas such as downtown, and for vacant tracts skipped over in past years as development progressed southward.

Other agencies including the school districts, county government, and utility companies use the plan to help them forecast future service needs.

Surrounding cities use the plan to assist them in evaluating the appropriateness and compatibility of their own master plans of proposed land uses and roadways.

Finally, the city itself uses the plan in a variety of ways including evaluating development proposals, coordinating development within the city and with adjacent jurisdictions, preparing neighborhood and special area plans, forecasting future service and facility needs, and for qualifying for state and federal grant programs.

The Master Plan complements the other planning tools that the city has by showing the big picture. Other tools include the Unified Development Ordinance and various design guidelines for commercial, multifamily, infill and redevelopment, and development corridors.

Future Development Plan

Of the various maps of the Master Plan, the Future Development Plan has the highest profile. The Future Development displays the pattern of current and anticipated land uses and the system of roads and residential densities that city leaders envision when the city is fully developed. The Future Development Plan is to be used with the city's land use goals and policies as presented in the Plan Implementation text of the Master Plan.

Residential categories:

• Very-Low-Density Residential calls for one acre or more per housing unit. Large-lot single-family subdivisions fall into this category.
• Low-Density Residential allows greater than one and less than or equal to five housing units per acre. Most of the city’s single-family subdivisions fall into this category.
• Medium-Density Residential allows residential development of greater than five and less than or equal to 12.5 units per acre. Most of the city’s duplex, town home, and apartment developments fall into this category.
• Medium-High-Density Residential allows residential development of greater than 12.5 and less than or equal to 16.5 units per acre.
• High-Density Residential allows residential development of greater than 16.5 and less than or equal to 43 units per acre.

Nonresidential categories:

• Light Industrial/Business Park allows for a variety of warehousing and light manufacturing uses that often include some related office uses. On land parcels of 15 acres or greater, a business park may be approved which allows a mixture of these uses and limited retail.
• Industrial allows for a variety of warehousing and light manufacturing uses.
• Commercial allows retail shops from convenience stores to shopping centers and may also include car dealerships, drive-thru restaurants, entertainment centers, and health and fitness centers.
• Mixed-Use provides for a variety of land uses in closer proximity to one another than is possible in traditional Master Plan categories. Developments are expected to have a mixture of residential, office and retail uses.
• Office allows general office uses, medical offices, day care centers, banks, and other financial institutions.
• Hotel and Motel is exclusively for hotel and motel uses.
• Public and Semipublic allows for a variety of uses including government buildings and facilities, schools, churches and temples, utility facilities, hospitals, cemeteries, and transportation facilities.
• Parks, Recreation and Open Space allows such uses as parks, greenways (with or without bike/pedestrian trails), recreation facilities such as swimming pools and ball fields, conservation areas, and landscaped/natural open space areas.

Other Categories:

• 151st Street Corridor Design Concept Plan Area - provides for an overall coordinated plan which shows acceptable land uses, architectural design features and site design features for a portion of the Stanley neighborhood.
• Blue Valley Plan Urban Fringe Area – originally a 21-square mile area directly south of the city for which a joint future land use plan was prepared with the county.  Much of the area at was included in this joint future land use plan is now within the incorporated limits of Overland Park.
• Rural Policy Area
• Growth Policy Area*
• Transition Area*
• Research and Development*

*Contact the Johnson County Planning Department for more details, as this area is in the unincorporated portion of the county.

Check the back of the Future Development Plan for a more complete explanation of these categories.

Street Designations on the Future Development Plan show the ultimate function of each segment of roadway. Types of roadways include local public and private streets, collector streets, thoroughfares, and freeways.

Finally, the 100-year Floodplain category shows the approximate location of the floodplain as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Future Development Plan along with all other documents that comprise the city’s Master Plan are reviewed annually to ensure that they reflect current city policy.

What are the differences between the Master Plan and the zoning map?
The two documents are complementary. The Future Development Plan depicts future land use and serves as a policy guide for future development. The zoning map is specific in nature and reflects currently approved developments.