What shapes a site plan in metro Kansas City
Metro Kansas City sits in two states, so the state line is the first fact on any site data table here. Five conditions decide how a plan is drawn and who approves it.
- The seal rule changes at the state line. Missouri's statute provides that "Nothing in this section... shall require any professional to seal preliminary or incomplete documents" (RSMo 327.411) [7]. Kansas defines architecture to cover the design of non-exempt buildings "and the spaces within and the site surrounding such buildings" (K.S.A. 74-7003) [8]. A concept plan stays unsealed on both sides; on the Kansas side the permit-set site plan for such a building belongs to the licensed architect or engineer of record.
- In KCMO an approved plan becomes zoning. Chapter 88 requires a development plan for a residential development of 50 dwelling units or more (88-517-02-A), the City Council acts on it, and once approved the plan is treated as part of the zoning for the site (88-517-09-A), shown on the map with a "p" suffix [1, 9].
- Fuel sites are spaced by ordinance in KCMO. Ordinance 240861, passed on September 26, 2024, added §88-347-02-A: no new gas station within 2,000 ft of another fuel sales use or within 200 ft of an R district [2]. The rule followed a moratorium that ran until August 8, 2024 [10].
- On the Kansas side the planning commission signs off on final plans. Overland Park's commission page states that "The Planning Commission reviews all applications for final development plans and plats" [3], and in Olathe the Planning Commission approves preliminary site development plans for permitted uses (UDO §18.40.110) [4].
- The two counties decide differently. In unincorporated Jackson County, Missouri, the County Legislature makes the final decision on planned developments (UDC §24003.18) [11]. In unincorporated Johnson County, Kansas, the Consolidated Zoning Board recommends and the Board of County Commissioners decides [12].
The statewide layers under these conditions are on the Missouri and Kansas pages. This page covers what changes inside the metro.
What changes at the state line
| Layer | Missouri side: KCMO, Lee's Summit, Jackson and Clay counties | Kansas side: Overland Park, Olathe, Kansas City KS, Johnson County |
|---|---|---|
| Seal on a preliminary plan | Not required: RSMo 327.411 exempts preliminary or incomplete documents [7] | Architecture reaches the site surrounding a non-exempt building (K.S.A. 74-7003) [8] |
| Building code | No statewide code for private work; first and second classification counties adopt building regulations under RSMo 64.170 [13] | Each city sets its own editions: Overland Park the 2024 IBC, IEBC and IFC (Ord. BC-3499), Olathe the 2018 codes, the Unified Government a 2018 list dated as of June 30, 2022 [14, 15, 16] |
| Construction stormwater | Missouri DNR coverage under 10 CSR 20-6.200 at one acre or a common plan: MORA for private sites, MOR100 for city, county, state or federal land [17] | KDHE coverage at one acre or a common plan, with a Notice of Intent, a SWP2 plan and KDHE authorization before construction [18] |
| County government | Jackson and Clay are among Missouri's five charter counties, and Clay's "county constitution" was adopted January 1, 2021 [19, 20] | Johnson County's Zoning and Subdivision Regulations were adopted March 17, 1994, and a rewrite is in progress in 2026 [21, 22] |
The building code row matters on the plan itself: fire apparatus access, hydrant layout and accessible routes are drawn to the edition the jurisdiction adopted, and Overland Park and Olathe, neighbors in Johnson County, are on different cycles [14, 15].
Jurisdiction map: who governs where
| Jurisdiction | Code and approval path | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, Missouri | Chapter 88 Zoning and Development Code; the City Plan Commission meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, and the City Council acts on development plans | [23, 24, 1] |
| Lee's Summit | Unified Development Ordinance, Chapter 33; a preliminary development plan goes to the Planning Commission and then the City Council, while a final development plan is approved administratively; the commercial PDP fee was $2,175 on a 2024 record and the FDP fee $600 on a 2019 record | [25, 5, 6] |
| Unincorporated Jackson County | Unified Development Code, County Code ch. 240, effective June 1, 1995, which §24001.4 applies to all unincorporated land | [26, 11] |
| Overland Park | Planning Commission for final development plans and plats; the Governing Body for preliminary plans and rezonings; Site Design Standards and Architectural Design Standards adopted by reference in Ord. ZRR-3461 (2024) | [3, 27] |
| Olathe | UDO Title 18; a neighborhood meeting is required (§18.40.030), and the Planning Commission approves site development plans | [4] |
| Kansas City, Kansas | Unified Government code list dated as of June 30, 2022, on 2018 editions | [16] |
| Unincorporated Johnson County | Consolidated Zoning Board, then the Board of County Commissioners; Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction effective July 1, 2020 | [12, 28] |
Johnson County Building Officials coordinate code uniformity among the county's jurisdictions, and there is no regional land use authority [29]. Lenexa, Independence and the other suburbs run their own codes, so their review steps are confirmed city by city before a layout is fixed.
Kansas City, Missouri: the development plan path
KCMO's Chapter 88 sets four plan types: plan review under 88-516, development plans under 88-517, project plans under 88-518 and site plans under 88-530 [9, 1]. The development plan is required for housing at 50 dwelling units or more, the City Council acts on it, and an approved plan carries into the zoning of the site [1]. The City Plan Commission's 1st and 3rd Wednesday meetings set the calendar the plan works to [24]. Because the approved plan becomes zoning, the layout drawn for the development plan is the one the site keeps; a preliminary site plan that settles yield, parking and access before filing saves an amendment later.
Kansas side: Overland Park and Olathe
| Item | Overland Park | Olathe |
|---|---|---|
| Final plan approval | The Planning Commission, for all final development plans and plats [3] | The Planning Commission (UDO §18.40.110) [4] |
| Preliminary plan approval | The Governing Body, with rezonings [3] | The Planning Commission, for permitted uses [4] |
| Preliminary plan fee | $250 with no hearing; $450 to $900 with a hearing, by acreage [30] | Not stated |
| Neighborhood meeting | Not stated | Required (§18.40.030) [4] |
| Plan validity | Not stated | Preliminary 7 years; final 2 years [4] |
| Design standards | Site Design Standards and Architectural Design Standards, by reference in Ord. ZRR-3461 (2024) [27] | Not stated |
| Building code | The 2024 IBC, IEBC, IFC, IPC, IMC and IFGC, with the 2023 NEC named in its title, by Ord. BC-3499, recommended for passage by a January 7, 2026 committee staff report [14, 31] | 2018 codes by Ords. 19-27 (IBC), 19-29 (IEBC), 19-33 (NEC), 19-34 (IECC) and 19-37 (IFC), effective Sept 1, 2019 [15] |
The Overland Park commission's February 10, 2025 minutes show a Site Plan Review Committee reviewing projects and record the commission's power to ask for "additional renderings" [32]. A 3D rendering tied to the site plan is the studio's answer to that request; the Kansas page sets out the code adoption record city by city.
Asset rules in metro Kansas City
| Asset | Jurisdiction | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas stations | KCMO | No new station within 2,000 ft of another fuel sales use or 200 ft of an R district; approval may come through a development plan without a special use permit; canopy lighting of 10 to 45 fc; light poles no taller than 22 ft (§88-347, Ordinance 240861) | [2] |
| Car washes | KCMO | Counted as drive-through facilities by definition (§88-805-04) | [33] |
| Car washes | Lee's Summit | A special use permit is required; Bill 23-207 granted a 20-year special use permit in the CP-2 district | [34] |
| Self storage | KCMO | Each unit opens from inside the building or the site; unit doors may not face a street or show to the right of way, except toward state highway right of way 100 ft or more from the pavement edge with screening, and may not face an abutting R or DR district unless 100 ft away and screened (88-369-02) | [35] |
| RV, vehicle and boat storage | KCMO, with self storage | Outdoor storage of operational RVs, commercial vehicles and watercraft on no more than 25 percent of the site, kept off the right of way and away from R and DR districts, and screened under 88-425-09 (88-369-02) | [35] |
| Multifamily | KCMO | A development plan at 50 dwelling units or more (88-517-02-A) | [1] |
| Hotels, RV resorts and HOA communities with pools | Olathe | The Johnson County Aquatic Health Code, which Olathe readopted on Sept 15, 2026, covers public and semi-public pools, HOA pools included | [36] |
Layout standards for these classes are on the gas station, car wash, self storage, RV and boat storage, multifamily and hotel hubs.
Growth and proof points
| Record | What it shows | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Panasonic, De Soto | A $4 billion EV battery plant on a 300-acre site in Astra Enterprise Park, Johnson County, which began mass production in July 2025 with "approximately 1,000 staff" hired at opening | [37] |
| Panasonic job estimates | "Expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs," with an estimated 4,000 supplier jobs and 16,500 construction jobs from a Wichita State University impact study, and a projected $2.5 billion a year in new economic activity in Kansas | [37] |
| KCMO fuel spacing | A moratorium that ran until August 8, 2024, followed by Ordinance 240861 on September 26, 2024 | [10, 2] |
| Lee's Summit car wash | Bill 23-207, a 20-year special use permit in CP-2 | [34] |
| Overland Park code update | Ord. BC-3499 moves the city's commercial series to the 2024 International Codes | [14] |
| Olathe sanitary and pool codes | Ord. 26-47, passed September 15, 2026, readopts the 2025 Johnson County Environmental Sanitary and Aquatic Health Codes | [36] |
Site factors
- Missouri state routes. Any work on state highway right of way needs a MoDOT permit, district offices approve entrances in normal access right of way through a "Permit to Work on Right of Way," and "Entrances within No Access Right of Way shall not be permitted" [38]. A traffic impact analysis is suggested at 100 or more peak hour driveway trips or a 20% increase (EPG 905.3.2), and sight distance is measured with 3.5 ft eye and object heights (EPG 233.1) [39, 40].
- Septic in Olathe. Ord. 26-47 readopted the 2025 Johnson County Environmental Sanitary Code, which sets the septic rules in the city [36].
- Fuel canopies in KCMO. Canopy lighting runs from 10 to 45 fc and light poles stop at 22 ft, so the photometric layout and pole locations belong on the concept [2].
- Self storage frontage in KCMO. Door orientation and the 100 ft distance from state highway pavement or an R or DR district decide where the drive-up rows can go [35].
Grading, stormwater, utility and access design belong to the engineer of record; this post on stormwater as a site plan variable covers how detention reshapes a layout.
What the preliminary plan carries in Kansas City
The site data table leads with the state, the city and the code edition from the state line table [13, 14, 15]. In KCMO it then carries the unit count against the 50-unit development plan line [1] and, on a fuel site, the distance to the nearest fuel sales use and R district against 2,000 ft and 200 ft [2]. On either side it shows disturbed acreage against the one-acre construction stormwater line [17, 18], and in Olathe it notes the validity period the approval will carry [4].
That is the preliminary site plan: site layout, buildings, drive aisles, parking, pads and yield, with the site data table. Developers take it to staff and planning commission conversations, to lenders and to general contractors for pricing; the architect or engineer of record then builds the sealed set on it. The who prepares a site plan guide sets out that division of work, the site plan consultant page covers coordination, and the Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus pages cover the other Midwest metros. Service areas lists every metro covered.
Frequently asked questions
Who approves a development plan in Kansas City, Missouri?
The City Council acts on development plans under Chapter 88, section 88-517, and an approved plan is then treated as part of the zoning for the site [1].
When does KCMO require a development plan for housing?
For a residential development of 50 dwelling units or more (88-517-02-A) [1].
Can a new gas station open near another fuel seller in KCMO?
Not within 2,000 ft of another fuel sales use, and not within 200 ft of an R district, under §88-347-02-A as added by Ordinance 240861 on September 26, 2024 [2].
Who approves an Overland Park final development plan?
The Planning Commission, which the city says reviews all applications for final development plans and plats; the Governing Body acts on preliminary plans and rezonings [3].
How long does an approved Olathe site development plan last?
Seven years for a preliminary site development plan and two years for a final one, under UDO §18.40.110 [4].
Does a car wash need a special use permit in Lee's Summit?
Yes. Bill 23-207 is the record: it granted a 20-year special use permit for a car wash in the CP-2 district [34].
Does a preliminary site plan need a seal in metro Kansas City?
Who decides planned developments in unincorporated Jackson County?
The County Legislature makes the final decision (UDC §24003.18), and the Unified Development Code applies to all unincorporated land (§24001.4) [11].
Sources
- 1)Kansas City Zoning and Development Code 88-517, Development plan review and approval, City of Kansas City, Missouri (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 2)File 240861, gas station spacing ordinance (§88-347), City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Clerk. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 3)Planning Commission, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 4)Unified Development Ordinance §18.40.110, Site Development Plans, City of Olathe (municipal.codes). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 5)Planning Application Status, CityView Portal (reference PL2019238), City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 6)Planning Application Status, CityView Portal (planning record 7356), City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 7)RSMo 327.411, Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 8)K.S.A. 74-7003 (2020 text), Kansas Legislature. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 9)Kansas City Zoning and Development Code 88-516, Plan review, City of Kansas City, Missouri (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 10)Gas station moratorium record, City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Clerk. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 11)Jackson County Unified Development Code, Jackson County, Missouri. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 12)Zoning Boards, Johnson County, Kansas, Planning. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 13)RSMo 64.170, Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 14)Ordinance No. BC-3499, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 15)Building Codes and Permits, City of Olathe. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 16)Codes and Ordinances, Building Inspection, Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 17)PUB0223, construction and land disturbance stormwater permits, Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 18)Fact sheet on the construction stormwater general permit as issued, Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 19)List of eligible cities and counties (charter counties), Missouri State Treasurer. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 20)Government, Clay County, Missouri. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 21)Unincorporated Area, Johnson County, Kansas, Building Codes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 22)Johnson County Planning Commission, Johnson County, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 23)Chapter 88 Code Amendments, City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Planning and Development. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 24)City Plan Commission (CPC), City of Kansas City, Missouri. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 25)Department of Planning and Development, development review procedures, City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 26)Unincorporated Jackson County Building Permits (August 2022), Jackson County, Missouri, Public Works. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 27)Ordinance No. ZRR-3461 (Site Design Standards and Architectural Design Standards), City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 28)Code of Regulation for Building and Construction, Johnson County, Kansas, Building Codes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 29)Johnson County Building Officials Association, Jurisdictions, Johnson County, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 30)Preliminary Development Plan and Revised Preliminary Development Plan fees, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 31)Community Development Committee staff report on Ordinance No. BC-3499 (January 7, 2026), City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 32)Overland Park Planning Commission meeting, February 10, 2025, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 33)File 230310 (drive-through facility definition, §88-805-04), City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Clerk. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 34)Bill No. 23-207 (car wash special use permit), City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 35)Kansas City Zoning and Development Code 88-369, Self-storage warehouse, City of Kansas City, Missouri (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 36)The Legal Record, September 22, 2026, page 3 (Olathe Ordinance 26-47), The Legal Record. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 37)Governor Kelly Celebrates Grand Opening of Panasonic EV Battery Manufacturing Facility in De Soto, Kansas Department of Commerce. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 38)Engineering Policy Guide, Category 941, Permits and Access Requests, Missouri Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 39)Engineering Policy Guide 905.3, Transportation Impact Analysis, Missouri Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 40)Engineering Policy Guide 233.1, At-Grade Intersections, Driveways and Entrances, Missouri Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-10.