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Johnson County begins comprehensive rewrite of zoning code, including district consolidation and use standards
Summary
Johnson County staff and consultants presented a comprehensive rewrite of the county’s zoning regulations — the first cohesive update since 1994 — that would consolidate districts, introduce clearer use-specific standards, add an Open Space & Parks district and move several procedural modules through public drafts in early 2026.
Johnson County’s Board of County Commissioners heard a presentation on Nov. 20 on a comprehensive rewrite of the county zoning code, which staff and consultants say is intended to modernize, simplify and make enforceable the county’s land‑use rules.
The board was told the rewrite—led by Planning Director Jay Leipzig and Clarion Associates consultant Elizabeth Garvin—aims to implement the county comprehensive plan by reducing the number of planned districts, tightening use tables and adding clearer, visual layout guidance so applicants and staff have a common expectation. Leipzig said the county has not updated its regulations “cohesively since 1994 when they originally adopted.”
Garvin said the project’s goals are to make the code more user‑friendly, tie standards to infrastructure capacity and provide predictable, flexible standards that allow more decisions to be handled at staff level rather than requiring repeated zoning board or commission hearings. “The goal of this project is to update the land use regulations to implement the Johnson County Rural Comprehensive Plan,” Garvin said, and the team expects to finish the first third of drafting now under way and move into broader development standards next year.
Key changes described to the board include consolidating planned districts into a smaller set of base districts and overlays, adding use‑specific standards (for example, consistent fencing and separation rules for dog daycares), and creating an Open Space & Parks district intended to make park implementation more plug‑and‑play with parks master plans. Garvin said visual diagrams in the code will help reduce ambiguity about how a compliant development should be laid out.
Staff outlined a phased schedule: module‑by‑module drafting through early 2026 with public drafts and outreach; development standards (parking, landscaping, signs, lighting, sensitive lands, subdivision design) are expected to reach public draft stage in January, with a consolidated draft of all pieces in 2026. Staff also described an intent to reduce nonconformity issues so existing businesses and property owners are not forced into immediate compliance when standards change.
The board asked for continued coordination with municipal partners and stakeholder groups and affirmed the direction to proceed with the phased public‑draft schedule. The board’s direction to staff on the zoning package and related topics was recorded during the meeting and the matter will continue through the Planning Commission and subsequent board hearings.
