Roeland Park Moving Forward 2040: Comprehensive Plan Update

The City Council approved Roeland Park Moving Forward 2040: Comprehensive Plan Update on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Below are links to the final plan, future land use map and strategic opportunities maps.

Summary

The City Council elected to update the City’s comprehensive plan in 2019 with the intent to have it completed in 2020. Roeland Park Moving Forward 2040 will reflect where city officials and residents want to drive development in the City through 2040. Earlier in 2019 the City completed corridor planning processes for the business district on the west side of Roe Boulevard and Johnson Drive with the help the Planning Sustainable Places grant from Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). That information will be incorporated into the revision of the City’s comp plan update. The plan will be led by the consultant firm Confluence with input from the City Planning Commission, City Council, Staff and the Citizens of Roeland Park. Meeting dates will be updated as they are set.

Universal Design

In addition to updating the Comp Plan, Confluence is charged with reviewing Universal Design (UD) concepts and to what extent these can and should be incorporated into the new or substantially remodeled homes. UD is the "design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design," (United States Access Board). One benefit of universal design is that it encourages people to "age in place" when used in residential construction. As a Community for All Ages Gold Level Recipient, encouraging livability in our community for all ages, is an important goal for the City of Roeland Park. Some of these improvements can be done efficiently while others can be quite costly. The review of the Comp Plan will consider Universal Design in context of what would work for our community.

Residential Design Standards

The Citizen Survey completed in 2016 indicated the desire to look at residential design standards in our community. These standards can take many forms and can impact building setbacks, the height and volume of structures, design details, materials and greenspace requirements. The City’s goal is to facilitate redevelopment that maintains and enhances Roland Park’s character and quality. The review of the Comp Plan will encompass a comprehensive analysis of residential design standards and help determine if we want to prescribe such standards and to what extent.

Tentative Schedule

Phase 1: Project Kick-off meeting + research and analysis (1 month)

Kick-Off Meeting with the Planning Commission on August 27, 2019 - View Presentation
Data Collection & Analysis

Phase 2: Vision, Input + Direction (APprox. 2 months)

Project Survey - Take the Survey now!
Public Workshop - November 21st, 6 p.m. at City Hall - View Presentation
Key Stakeholder Interviews
Input, Visioning and Goals Review Meeting - December 17, 2019 at City Hall
Design Guidelines Workshop - February 18, 2020, 6 p.m. at City Hall - Watch the Meeting Online
Youth Workshop

Phase 3: Draft Plan + Evaluation (Approx. 3 months)

Draft Plan presentation with Planning Commission -
Draft Plan Review Workshop with Council and Planning Commission - Date TBD

Phase 4: Final Draft Plan + Adoption (Approx. 2 months)

Final Draft Plan Review with Planning Commission - View Draft Plan
Public Hearing - June 22, 2020
City Council Workshop to review draft - July 20, 2020, 6 p.m. - virtual meeting, view presentation
City Council Adoption - September 8, 2020