Planning commission adopts consolidated bylaws and hears Module 2 zoning update on parking, landscaping and lighting

The Johnson County Planning Commission unanimously approved revised bylaws that reflect the consolidation of the county’s east and west zoning boards and heard a detailed introduction to Module 2 of a multi-part update to the county’s zoning and subdivision regulations.

Planning Director Jay Le said the consolidated bylaws preserve a 12-member planning commission while adding two seats that represent the new consolidated zoning board, and the commission agreed to move its monthly start time from 5:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Jay Le, Planning Director, also noted the bylaws use the county’s standard template and that most language remains unchanged.

Jenny Baker, a consultant with Clarion Associates, then presented the Module 2 overview, explaining the draft focuses on development standards — “what it has to look like” — including off-street parking, landscaping, exterior lighting and signs. Baker said the draft has not yet been posted in full but that the consultant team and staff plan to release the consolidated draft in August and conduct outreach later this summer.

Baker described several substantive changes in the draft. On parking, the draft consolidates use-specific parking tables into higher-level categories (for example, retail), with a commonly used baseline of about one parking space per 250 square feet for many retail categories. She said the draft also provides flexibility by allowing applicants to submit a parking analysis for director review when a use is difficult to predict.

On landscaping, Baker said the draft introduces percentage-based landscaping requirements that apply up to one acre for nonresidential and multifamily sites, requires parking-lot trees rather than shrubs for shade, and specifies minimum plant sizes with a preference for native plants so irrigation is not required after establishment.

On exterior lighting, Baker said the draft leans toward Dark Sky International recommendations to limit skyglow and reduce trespass. “We leaned much more towards what Dark Sky International recommends, which is lower light levels,” she said, and described standards intended to require downward-directed, shielded fixtures and measurable limits at property lines to create an enforceable standard for complaints.

Baker also outlined the signs section, noting the draft avoids content-based rules (which are preempted by federal law) and instead regulates sign types, sizes and placement. The draft introduces clearer temporary-sign rules, keeps conditional-use review for billboards, and includes limited allowances for small digital message centers for institutional uses such as schools and libraries.

Commissioners asked a range of follow-up questions during a detailed discussion. Commissioner Craig Connell asked whether the proposed standards would apply to existing development; Baker and county staff said most standards apply to new development and to significant expansions, while limited exceptions exist (for example, lighting on an unchanged structure would not automatically be required to be retrofitted).

Commissioner Rod Richardson raised concerns about ongoing residential development on septic systems and how lot-size policy affects the ability to extend sanitary sewer service in the future. Baker and Sean Penley, county planning staff, said the draft recognizes two-acre minimums in many rural policy areas where sewer is not available, that smaller-lot districts are proposed only in limited places (for example an RL district around Gardner Lake and an RT district for small-town main-street areas), and that minimum-infrastructure and subdivision standards — including coordination with Johnson County Wastewater on sewer planning — will be addressed in the modules to come.

On parking flexibility, Commissioner Andrew (Andy) Logan asked how approval of reduced parking would be monitored if a site’s intensity changed; staff said the draft currently is silent on some enforcement details but discussed carrying forward provisions that require reserving space that could be built out later if demand increases.

Planning staff and the consultant stressed next steps: finish Module 2 (including subdivision and minimum-infrastructure standards), complete Module 3 (administration and review procedures) in July, post a consolidated draft in August, and pursue public outreach and hearings in the fall with adoption targeted later in the year.

The commission approved the bylaws changes and two small textual edits by unanimous voice/hand vote. The meeting ended after a short director’s report on recent Board of County Commissioners action on rural comprehensive-plan amendments and scheduling notes for the commission’s July meeting.

The commission was told the Module 2 draft will be posted online for public review and that additional stakeholder meetings (including with Johnson County Wastewater, public works and airport staff) will precede any public hearings.