The Zoning and Subdivisions Regulations – sometimes called a “zoning code” or “land use code” – is a set of regulations that establish how development is to occur. This includes zoning, the uses that are allowed in each zone, subdivisions, landscaping, signs, parking, lighting, and other topics to ensure that new development in unincorporated Johnson County meets community expectations.

Johnson County’s existing Zoning and Subdivision Regulations is available online.

A Comprehensive Plan (sometimes called a “master plan,” “general plan,” or “community plan”) is a long-range planning document that looks at the relationships between land uses, infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, and community needs to guide how the community handles growth, development, protection of community assets and provision of services. A Comprehensive Plan is used to:

• Develop consensus on community visions and goals;
• Guide decision-making, local regulations and capital improvement projects;
• Inform individual development approvals; and
• Support grants and new funding opportunities.

Johnson County’s Rural Comprehensive Plan is available online.

Fulfilling Johnson County’s vision and goals – as outlined by the Rural Comprehensive Plan – requires implementation. That means using the tools that the County has to ensure the Comprehensive Plan is accomplished. One set of tools the County can use to implement the community’s goals for growth and development are the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations.

Regulations and standards in the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations generally describe the rules for what can be developed in which locations in unincorporated Johnson County. Additionally, the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations include development standards about landscaping, parking, fences, exterior lighting and others that ensures that new development is a good neighbor to what is already there and minimizes impacts to the characteristics that make Johnson County special.

Zoning refers to the creation of districts within a community that establish different standards or regulations for what can or cannot be developed there. For example, residential zones (or zoning districts) could allow a variety of housing densities and home-based businesses but restrict the development of land uses that the County thinks would negatively impact the health and safety of the people that live there. Different zones also often have different standards for the density of development or size and scale of buildings.

Subdivision means the division or separation of a parcel of land into two or more parcels, lots, or tracts. This is often required as part of the development process when an area of land is intended to be developed into a neighborhood with homes or when a commercial area is infilled with new businesses.

Updating the current Zoning and Subdivision Regulations will allow the county to more effectively and efficiently implement the vision and goals of the county’s Comprehensive Plan (The Rural Comprehensive Plan). With clear direction from the comprehensive plan about how and where the community wants to grow, it’s important to have updated regulations that help make that a reality.

Updating the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations could mean adding new standards to reflect new land use challenges and development opportunities, removing standards that work as a barrier to plan implementation, and updating other standards to reflect new technology and development trends. The key issues that will be addressed in the update will be identified in the Zoning Regulations Audit and Annotated Outline that will be completed in October 2024.

In addition to implementing the county’s comprehensive plan, the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations update will focus on modernizing the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. That means that the project will work to reflect changes in technology, industry trends, best practices for land use regulations, and state and federal law since the last comprehensive review and update of the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations in 1994.

Since that time, short-term rentals, tiny houses, coworking spaces, e-fulfillment centers, rideshare and many other land uses have become more common – in addition to a shift towards more remote work and online shopping. In Johnson County, outdated Zoning and Subdivision Regulations may present unnecessary barriers to creating a small home business or repurposing underutilized office and retail space to address other commercial and industrial needs

Other Zoning and Subdivision Regulations changes may come from taking a different look at development costs and community investments. For example, the shifts in the way many people live, work, shop, and do business may require costly investments in existing parking and infrastructure standards that aren’t necessary based on market trends and create barriers to development. As a result, the updated Zoning and Subdivision Regulations need to address gaps in regulations for new types of development, increase flexibility so the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations can adapt to future land use changes, and remove regulations that don’t advance community priorities.

Lastly, the updated Zoning and Subdivision Regulations will need to be tailored to reflect the unique character of unincorporated Johnson County – which ranges from rural landscapes to estate lots in fringe neighborhoods to historic railroad and lake-front communities. Prior to making updates to the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations, the project team will complete a full assessment of the current regulations with the goal of guiding how a new Zoning and Subdivision Regulations that is simplified, streamlined and improved in keeping with regulatory best practices.

The updated Zoning and Subdivision Regulations will continue to only apply to unincorporated areas of Johnson County. This means that the regulations generally do not apply to areas that are owned by the State or Federal government, or areas within incorporated cities (e.g., Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe, Gardner). Note that there are pockets of unincorporated areas within some cities and towns where the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations do apply.

In unincorporated areas of Johnson County, the rules that are set in Zoning and Subdivision Regulations will apply to new development, expansions and redevelopment. The updated Zoning and Subdivision Regulations will influence what new development is possible as the county grows, what new development looks like, how it fits into the community, and how it can help the county ensure a strong economy, resilient environment, and high quality of life. So, if you live, work, own land, own a business, or plan to relocate to Johnson County, the updated Zoning and Subdivision Regulations is worth caring about!

With updates to the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations the names and standards of zoning districts may change. Some zoning districts may be eliminated, consolidated with another zoning district, or repurposed. As a result, although the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations may change, this project will not result in any rezoning of property (e.g., from residential to commercial).

The county may explore rezoning of property in a separate process following adoption of the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations, based on policy direction from the Rural Comprehensive Plan. Although the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations provides a description of the zoning districts and the standards that apply to them, the county’s comprehensive plan provides the basis for what type of development is best suited in each area of the county.

Everyone! Updating development regulations requires input from all kinds of people – residents, neighborhoods, businesses, non-profits, schools, retirees, the development community, other agencies and service providers, and many others.

If you don’t own property or run a business in Johnson County you may think that the effort to update the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations isn’t important. The reality is that everyone should care about the updated Zoning and Subdivision Regulations! Here’s why:

• The Zoning and Subdivision Regulations determine how development can occur, so changes to the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations impacts the character of an area.
• The Zoning and Subdivision Regulations determine where commercial development occurs – and what type of businesses are permitted in different areas.
• The Zoning and Subdivision Regulations determine where different types of housing are allowed to be built. Although there are many factors that impact housing affordability, how much and what type of housing is built does impact the cost of housing (for you and future generations).
• The Zoning and Subdivision Regulations determines where commercial and industrial development occurs, which effects how far you may commute to work and how easy it is to establish a business.

Think about the age of your house, a business in the county, and the roads that you drive on. Although some structures are new, many are more than 100 years old. Because the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations impacts what development and infrastructure is built today, it will also impact where your children and grandchildren live, work, and get around.

You should participate if you care about how Johnson County grows!

The Rural Comprehensive Plan is the county’s policy document that directs how and where the county expects growth and development to occur. The Zoning and Subdivision Regulations are a tool for implementing the land use policies from the Comprehensive Plan through regulations. Additionally, the Comprehensive Plan is often referenced in the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations to inform zoning decisions.

Absolutely not! By living, working, owning land, owning a business, or caring about the future of Johnson County, you know so much about your community. Your input and ideas are vital to the success of the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. Whether you have just moved to the community or are a life-long resident, your perspective is important.

Johnson County's Planning, Housing, and Community Development Department is leading the process with support from a consultant team. The consultant team is being led by Clarion Associates, a Denver-based consulting firm that specializes in comprehensive planning and land use regulations with support from Olsson Design Studio.

The project is expected to take about two years to complete, with final adoption in July 2026, largely because it takes time to provide everyone in the county with enough opportunity to share their ideas and feedback before the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations are adopted. Please view the Project Timeline on the home page for more detail on the timing and process of the project.

Check this page for the latest project updates! We will keep you posted on upcoming events, meetings, opportunities to review and comment on Zoning and Subdivision Regulations drafts, and other major announcements.