Raymore council adopts Blueprint 2045 comprehensive plan

The Raymore City Council on May 12 voted unanimously to adopt the Raymore Blueprint 2045 comprehensive plan, a citywide roadmap staff says will guide community and economic development over the next 20 years.

The plan, introduced at a public hearing on May 12, received prior review and positive recommendations from the Park Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission; the planning commission forwarded the draft to council with a unanimous recommendation. David Gress, the city’s development services staffer who presented the report, said the plan began in 2021 and was assembled with consultant support.

Gress told the council that chapter 6 of the plan lists short-, medium- and long-term implementation steps and that staff will start a comprehensive review of the Unified Development Code to align city regulations with the plan’s goals. “Our first step is to take a close look through that document and make sure that it's accomplishing the types of projects that the council and the community wish to see,” Gress said during his presentation.

At the public hearing, resident Sean Siebert asked where the plan would be posted; Gress said staff will publish an interactive story map on the city website to replace the existing growth-management plan materials and that the draft is already included in board packets online.

Council Member Abdelgawad moved approval of Resolution 25-18 adopting Blueprint 2045; Council Member Holman seconded. The council voted 8-0 to adopt the plan. After adoption, staff said they will proceed with the code review, update development standards and advance a new sign code as outlined in the implementation chapter.

Adoption does not itself change zoning or development approvals: Gress and planning staff said the next, more specific steps will include code amendments and separate public hearings where required.