Zoning Regulations Update

In August 2024, Johnson County started the process of updating its Zoning and Subdivision Regulations to implement the vision and policies of the Rural Comprehensive Plan. The Zoning Regulations are the rules that guide how development should occur within the county.

Goals for the Zoning Regulations Update

- Implement the Johnson County Rural Comprehensive Plan and other relevant plans and policies.
- Improve user-friendliness through the use of clear, common sense language, graphics, tables, and flowcharts that make it easier to understand and interpret the regulations.
- Modernize the regulations using a community-based process, regulating what matters to the community without overregulating.
- Create regulations that reflect modern development methods, are tied to infrastructure capacity, and align with the planned growth of incorporated communities.
- Incorporate standards that are both predictable (people know what to expect from applications and future development) and flexible (there are opportunities to adjust standards to reflect on-the-ground realities.
- Reduce conflicts and inconsistencies between the regulations and other codes.
- Integrate best practices in planning and zoning from Kansas and around the nation, tailored to Johnson County.
- Ensure legally sound and defensible regulations that align with state statutes and federal law.
Zoning Regulations Update Timeline

Phase 1 (Sept.-Oct. 2024)
- Project Orientation: Starting the project and gathering initial staff input.
Phase 2 (Sept. 2024-Jan. 2025)
- Audit & Annotated Outline: Identifying how the regulations work and don’t work, locating gaps and flagging conflicts.
Phase 3 (Feb. 2025-March 2026)
- Draft Regulations: Drafting updated zoning and subdivision regulations and revising based on input.
- V1 Draft, Internal Review
- V2 Draft, Public Input
Phase 4 (March-July 2026)
- Full Draft & Adoption: Finalizing regulations for adoption.
Latest News

The Zoning Regulations Update project is just getting started! Throughout the course of this project, we will be asking the community for their ideas via surveys, public meetings, and the chance to comment on drafts of the Zoning Regulations. Check this page for the latest news and next opportunity to participate.
We want to hear from you!
Take this survey to provide feedback on the Zoning Regulations Update, We would like to hear from Johnson County residents, business and property owners, development representatives and others regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the current Zoning Regulations (not including properties within incorporated cities like Olathe and Shawnee).