Overland Park is taking steps to update its rules and regulations for future development and redevelopment projects to match the priorities of the city’s new comprehensive plan.
On Monday, the Overland Park City Council voted 12-0 to approve an agreement with White and Smith LLC, for consulting on the revision of the city’s development codes called the Unified Development Ordinance.
Earlier in the evening, the council’s Community Development Committee also unanimously recommended approval of the contract for the ordinance update.
Overland Park has earmarked just shy of $560,000 for consulting services on the project, which is expected to take several months.
“This is a big step,” Mayor Curt Skoog said of the review process.
What is the Unified Development Ordinance?
- The Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO, covers a variety of development factors, including appropriate building materials and architectural standards.
- It also touches on what’s allowed in certain zoning districts.
- Paired with a city’s comprehensive plan, the UDO essentially guides what kind of development is appropriate and codifies what is acceptable for that development.
- Overland Park has historically revisited its UDO with some regularity for minor modifications, but this upcoming update will entail a full revamp.
Overland Park has been working on its development codes
- Last month, Overland Park took some preliminary action on updating the UDO — albeit with some tension and a narrow vote.
- Those recent changes focused mostly on multifamily housing development and also made way for a new permit-ready housing pilot program, which is meant to streamline the building of different types of housing.
- City staff described them as “interim” and “incremental” in the lead-up to the long-awaited larger overhaul of the city’s development codes.
- Before that, Overland Park signaled its intent to revise the UDO about a year ago in anticipation of the new comprehensive plan called Framework OP, which the city council approved this past spring.
Next steps:
- In early 2025, the city council is expected to convene a Committee of the Whole to discuss the UDO update and timeline more in-depth.
- The whole process is expected to take a total of two years, split into two phases, according to city documents.
- That being said, there could be incremental steps during that period that come to the city council or a committee for consideration.
- It is unclear what exactly will change in the development codes, but the whole document will be examined.
- In the end, any significant changes will require public hearings and approval from the city council.
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