Johnson County is proposing amendments to its Rural Comprehensive Plan to include updates to the Comprehensive Arterial Road Network Plan due to anticipated road infrastructure improvements, as well as additions to housing options within the unincorporated area.
 

About the Rural Comprehensive Plan Amendments

During review of the Rural Comprehensive Plan in 2024 and 2025, the county identified that the CARNP needed to be amended. This is partly due to the annexation of the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant by the City of De Soto and its repurposing into the industrial/commercial development area known as Astra Enterprise Park.

The amendments will focus on two areas of the Rural Comprehensive Plan: Chapter 4, Transportation (CARNP Updates) and Chapter 2, Land Use (Housing Type Additions).

CARNP Updates

The county anticipates growth in this part of the county as road infrastructure improvements connect the site to the surrounding area. To examine infrastructure needs in the surrounding area, the county worked on the Southwest Metro Area Johnson County Transportation Connection Plan earlier in 2025.

A joint effort between the cities of De Soto, Olathe, Gardner and Edgerton, as well as the Kansas Department of Transportation, this transportation study analyzed the local roadway system around the site and made recommendations to serve as the basis for updates to the CARNP. The proposed amendments consist of an updated CARNP map reflecting the recommendations of the JCTCP and a summary of the 2025 update process.

Amendments to Chapter 4, Transportation

Housing Type Additions

During the Zoning Regulation Update, the county identified policy issues regarding housing types within the unincorporated area of the county. As a result, the county is proposing amendments in the Rural Comprehensive Plan to identify opportunities and challenges for future housing policy discussions.

Most housing choice in the unincorporated area is low density due to the limited availability of infrastructure. Housing types within the unincorporated area are generally limited to low-density residences on 10-acre and larger lots (or two-acre or larger in the Urban Policy Area). The amendments recognize the potential benefit of more variety in housing types and price ranges in the unincorporated area – specifically in the Urban Fringe Area.

Amendments to Chapter 2, Land Use