Comprehensive Plan

2022 Comprehensive Plan Update

Overland Park updates its comprehensive plan every year to reflect past activity and rezoning changes.

The current comprehensive plan was created nearly 40 years ago. It is considered a “traditional” model first used by land use planners in the 1960s. Newer models include community engagement, encompass social and environmental issues and focus on implementation steps.

In 2022, the City will undergo a comprehensive plan update which will consider the plan’s alignment with Forward OP and other community plans such as the Johnson County Housing Study, Mid America Regional Council Climate Action Plan, and parking and infrastructure plans. The update will evaluate existing and emerging issues in the community and will align with the Capital Improvements Program and budget process.

To learn more about the process and get involved, visit the project website.

FrameworkOP.org

Prep for the Plan

The Comprehensive Plan update will involve extensive community engagement to determine needs, issues and opportunities in the community.

You can prepare to be involved by learning about current planning topics through the City’s Planning the Plan Speaker Series:

To learn more about planning in general and planning’s role in Overland Park’s history, scroll though Planning 101, a series of interactive stories.

Planning 101

Comprehensive Plan Use

The city uses the comprehensive plan as a policy guide for directing future land development.

The plan is used to evaluate development proposals, forecast future service and facility needs, and qualify for state and federal grant programs. The plan complements other planning tools, including zoning, the unified development ordinance, and various design guidelines and standards.

The comprehensive plan also can be used by:

Potential homeowners, residents, homes associations and neighborhood organizations to identify proposed land uses and planned roadways in their area or throughout the city.
Developers to identify where they can locate and, for residential uses, at what density they can build.
Other agencies, including school districts, county government and utility companies, to help forecast future service needs.
Surrounding cities to help them evaluate the appropriateness and compatibility of their own plans for proposed land uses and roadways.

Future Development Plan

The future development plan is an integral part of Overland Park’s comprehensive plan. The future development map is a graphic representation of the City’s land use goals and policies, showing how the city envisions development. The map is reviewed annually.

The Planning Commission and Governing Body use the map, along with the other maps and documents from the comprehensive plan, as a decision-making tool when making development-related decisions.

Zoning

The future development plan is a general guide to development in the city, not a zoning map.

The current zoning of a tract of land is not always compatible with what is shown on the future development plan, and is not necessarily an indication of future land use.

The future development plan and zoning map have different, yet complementary roles in guiding and regulating land development in Overland Park. The two should be used jointly to review the merits of a proposed development to ensure it meets land use regulations and complies with the city’s goals and policies.

Greenway Linkages Plan

The greenway linkages plan helps guide the development of an extensive system of linear open spaces, most of which will have bike & hike trails that link public parks and recreation facilities with schools, residences, churches, libraries and more.

These linkages often are used as buffers between differing types of land uses as a means to conserve areas of natural or historic value or as an enhancement to parks and roadways.

Greenway Linkages Guidelines

The Greenway linkages guidelines are not part of the Comprehensive Plan but were adopted separately to complement the greenway linkages plan. The guidelines describe the five different types of greenway linkages shown on the map.

The City Council and Planning Commission use the plan and guidelines in their review of all site development proposals, including platting of land, rezoning, and special use permits.

Changing the Comprehensive Plan

The City reviews portions of the plan annually to ensure the plan reflects current land use policy. This review is also a requirement of state planning enabling legislation.

The Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Plan Committee works with staff to update the plan. This review may involve workshops to outline proposed amendments. Amendments may come from Governing Body, Planning Commission, city staff, or residents.

After amendments are drafted, the Planning Commission and Governing Body hold public hearings before adopting any amendments to the comprehensive plan.