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A More Vibrant Overland Park

A Proposal for the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Rewrite

To: Mayor, City Council, and Residents of Overland Park

Subject: Aligning the UDO with the City's Adopted Vision

Prepared by: Overland Park Voice

Current UDO Phase Context

This proposal was originally drafted during Phase 1 of the UDO rewrite. The city has since entered Phase 2 (Drafting and Adoption, target Fall/Winter 2026) and released draft zoning district documents on March 2, 2026. The city held a public open house on March 12 and ran an official survey that closed April 30.

Our analysis of the new draft documents is available at the UDO Hub Page.

A Plan for Action

Overland Park's vision is already clear: to be a city of vibrant, walkable neighborhoods with a rich variety of housing options. FrameworkOP, the city's adopted comprehensive plan, established that goal: "vibrant neighborhoods with a variety of housing types that offer attractive, attainable, and safe housing options." This proposal is a straightforward plan to execute that vision by aligning the UDO with adopted goals using objective, predictable standards.

Our recommendations focus on three key areas:

  1. Expand Housing Variety & Attainability. Allow a wider range of housing choices such as duplexes, townhomes, and small backyard cottages that fit the character of our neighborhoods. Modestly reducing minimum lot sizes will make it more feasible to build starter homes and develop underused lots.
  2. Remove Systemic Barriers to Affordability. Update parking requirements to reflect what's actually needed, especially in walkable areas, and modernize occupancy rules to focus on health and safety, not on how many unrelated people live together.
  3. Activate Neighborhoods with Local Businesses & Common Spaces. Allow for small-scale, neighborhood-serving shops with design standards that ensure they enhance the area, and require new developments to include functional, public-facing common spaces.

The bottom line is simple: we are not asking the City to adopt a new vision. We are providing a straightforward path to deliver the one it has already endorsed.

Section 1

Expand Housing Variety & Attainability

A significant portion of city land is zoned exclusively for single-family detached homes, often with large lot requirements. This limits housing diversity, artificially inflates land costs, and contradicts FrameworkOP's call for "vibrant neighborhoods with a variety of housing types." The City of Overland Park Housing Needs Assessment (January 2026) shows the city needs roughly 1,420 new housing units per year and has averaged fewer than 700. Since 2021, only one home has been built at the identified attainable price point.

Permit "Missing Middle" Housing By-Right

Authority: FrameworkOP P-LU.5 (Increase Housing Choices) calls for "a variety of housing types to be added to the city's housing inventory, including 'missing middle' housing." P-LU.9 (Encourage Development of Complete Neighborhoods) calls for communities with everyday services within walking distance. A-H.5 directs the city to "revise the regulations to make it easier to build these housing types." A-H.6 directs the city to remove barriers to infill lots.

Action: Amend §§ 18.180.020 and §§ 18.190.020 to allow duplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts as permitted uses in R-1 and R-1A districts, guided by context-sensitive form and frontage standards to ensure they fit seamlessly into neighborhoods.

Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Citywide

Authority: Directly supports the creation of diverse housing options for multi-generational families, caregivers, or seniors wishing to age in place. FrameworkOP's Future Development Character Framework defines "Housing 1" as including accessory dwelling units. P-H.4 (Utilize Creative Tools for Increasing Housing Choice) lists ADU-enabling strategies among its recommended tools.

Action: Amend Ch. 18.390 to permit one attached or detached ADU by-right on any lot with a single-family home. The standards should be objective and administrative to avoid delays, governing size, height, and design compatibility.

Reduce Minimum Lot Sizes & Widths

Authority: Directly addresses the city's goal to "remove barriers to infill lots."

Action: Amend §§ 18.180.030 and §§ 18.190.030 to lower minimum lot area and width requirements in R-1 and R-1A zones, making starter homes and infill development more feasible.

Measuring Success

  • Track the number of small-scale housing units (duplex, ADU, cottage court) permitted and completed annually.
  • Monitor the median price of new-build, small-format homes to ensure they reduce entry price points.
  • Map the distribution of approvals to ensure growth within Strategic Investment Areas (SIAs).

Section 2

Remove Systemic Barriers to Affordability

Outdated rules regarding parking and household occupancy add unnecessary costs to housing and arbitrarily limit how residents can live together, restricting options for students, single workers, and other non-traditional households.

Reform Parking Mandates

Authority: P-LU.4 (Foster Sustainable and Resilient Developments) calls for development that will "prioritize pedestrians" and "decrease reliance on automobiles." P-LU.7 (Prioritize Pedestrian-Scale Design) reinforces this. A-LU.1.B directs the city to update parking standards "to support future transit service, facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians."

Action: Amend Ch. 18.430 to eliminate parking minimums in designated Strategic Investment Areas (SIAs). Elsewhere, reduce minimums and allow alternatives like on-street spaces or shared parking agreements. This reduces construction costs that are otherwise passed on to residents.

Modernize "Family" Definition

Authority: Supports housing affordability and choice for all household types.

Action: Amend § 18.110.240 to remove the arbitrary cap of four unrelated persons. Occupancy should be regulated by building and safety codes (based on square footage, bedrooms, and egress), not an outdated definition of "family."

Measuring Success

  • See a downward trend in the cost and number of parking stalls provided per unit in new developments, especially in SIAs.
  • Note a decrease in occupancy citations that are unrelated to health and safety standards.

Section 3

Activate Neighborhoods with Local Businesses & Common Spaces

Strict separation of uses creates car-dependent neighborhoods where a simple errand requires a drive. And "open space" in new developments is too often leftover, unusable land rather than a true community asset.

Allow for Corner Stores and Neighborhood Businesses

Authority: Aligns with FrameworkOP's vision for "complete neighborhoods" where daily needs are within walking distance. P-LU.9 specifically calls for communities that offer "recreational amenities, parks, and pedestrian-oriented environments" with access to everyday services.

Action: Create a Neighborhood Commercial (NC-1) use or overlay that allows for small-scale (e.g., under 3,000 sq. ft.), neighborhood-serving retail on corners or at mapped nodes. Require pedestrian-friendly design, such as entrances facing the sidewalk and parking located at the rear.

Require Meaningful Common Spaces

Authority: Directly implements FrameworkOP's call to "Create More Community Gathering Spaces at Both Large and Small-Scales" (A-QOL.2). A-LU.1.D directs the city to "require the integration of plazas, tree-lined walkways, parks, or open spaces into new or redevelopments."

Action: Update the UDO to require that new multi-family and planned developments include functional, publicly accessible common areas like plazas, courtyards, or pocket parks. Establish objective design standards requiring features like seating, lighting, and direct sidewalk connections.

Measuring Success

  • Measure the percentage of residents who live within a 5-10 minute walk of daily-needs retail or a usable public gathering space.
  • Conduct post-occupancy checks to confirm that new common spaces are well-used by the community.

A Framework for Success

To ensure these reforms are successful and accountable, we recommend piloting them in the city's Strategic Investment Areas. Progress can be tracked on a public dashboard, monitoring key metrics like the number of new small-scale homes, housing cost trends, and resident access to local shops.

Housing Units

Number of small-scale housing units (duplex, ADU, cottage court) permitted and completed annually.

Cost Trends

Median price of new-build, small-format homes and parking cost per unit in new developments.

Walkability

Percentage of residents within a 5-10 minute walk of daily-needs retail or a public gathering space.

Questions & Answers

UDO Rewrite Questions Answered

Will Allowing Different Housing Types Change the Character of My Single-Family Neighborhood?

Our neighborhoods' character comes from the people who live there. By allowing a wider variety of housing, like duplexes or small cottage homes that fit in with the scale of the neighborhood, we make it possible for seniors to downsize and stay in their community, for young families to find a starter home, and for teachers and nurses to live where they work. This strengthens, not diminishes, our neighborhood's character.

Will New Businesses and More Neighbors Make My Neighborhood Less Safe?

Actually, the opposite is often true. Well-designed neighborhoods with a mix of homes and small shops have more "eyes on the street." This natural, round-the-clock activity is one of the best deterrents to crime. The goal is to foster vibrant, well-lit public spaces where neighbors feel safe and connected.

Why Would We Allow Businesses in Residential Areas?

The goal is to allow for small-scale, neighborhood-serving shops, like a corner coffee shop or a small market. This creates "15-minute neighborhoods" where you can walk to get a gallon of milk instead of having to drive everywhere. Strict design standards will ensure these businesses fit the look and feel of the neighborhood, adding convenience and a place for neighbors to connect.

Won't Reducing Parking Requirements Create a Parking Nightmare?

This change provides flexibility, it does not ban parking. Forcing every new home and business to build a set number of parking spots adds significant costs to housing and goods, whether you drive or not. This reform allows property owners and businesses to build the amount of parking that is actually needed, rather than an arbitrary amount set by a mandate. This leads to better use of land and can lower costs for everyone.

Are We Losing Our Voice by Allowing More Development "By-Right"?

Not at all. Allowing certain types of housing "by-right" simply means that if a proposal meets all the required, pre-approved design and safety standards, it can move forward without a lengthy public hearing. This streamlines the process for building the kinds of "missing middle" homes our community needs, while ensuring they are high-quality and fit the neighborhood's vision. Larger, more complex projects will still require the same level of public review they always have.

This document is offered as a public resource for residents of Overland Park. It is not affiliated with any political party or campaign.

© Overland Park Voice. All rights reserved.

Visit opvoice.org for more information.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 14, 2026

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OP Voice Transparency

AI Use Policy

How We Use AI in Our Research and Writing

Updated: October 2026

Scope: All OP Voice research, policy drafting, and community projects

Objective: Ensuring human judgment remains the foundation of civic advocacy

Part I

Why This Exists

As a one-person organization juggling a full-time job and serious policy work, efficiency is a necessity. However, if we demand transparency from the City on their AI use, we owe you the same.

Core Principles:

  • 1.
    Authenticity Over Polish: AI helps me be more thorough, but it never replaces the reading or the judgment.
  • 2.
    Transparency as Default: If AI contributed significantly to a piece of work, we disclose it.
  • 3.
    Human-in-the-Loop: AI can surface patterns, but humans make the call on what matters.

Part II

How the Work Actually Happens

Step 1: Human Research & Analysis

Every project starts with reading actual documents: city contracts, vendor policies, ordinances, and investigative reporting. I form my own hypotheses and arguments from this research foundation. AI never sees a blank slate; it sees work I've already started.

Step 2: Using AI to Cover Gaps

AI tools are used to find sources I might have missed, identify logical holes, and synthesize patterns across multiple documents. All AI-surfaced sources get verified independently. We use multiple AI systems to avoid vendor lock-in.

Step 3: Red-Teaming & Stress-Testing

Before committing to a position publicly, I use AI to find the strongest counter-arguments. This helps identify vulnerabilities before they reach the City Attorney or Council. If red-teaming reveals a weak position, I change or abandon it.

Part III

The Red-Teaming Practice

Red-teaming is the most valuable way I use AI. It's brutally honest feedback without social pressure.

The Red-Team Protocol: What We Ask

"What's the strongest case against this?"

Finding the counter-perspectives early.

"What am I assuming that I shouldn't?"

Exposing blind spots in our logic.

"Where is this most vulnerable to criticism?"

Strengthening the evidentiary base.

"How would city staff oppose this?"

Preparing for the real-world debate.

Part IV

Verification & Disclosure

Section 1: The Human Verification Standard

This mirrors our February 2026 RTIC governance proposal. Just as OPPD shouldn't take enforcement action based solely on an AI alert, OP Voice doesn't publish AI analysis without human verification.

Claims verified vs original sources
Tested against lived experience
Judgment on community needs
Tone edited for authenticity

Section 2: Clear Disclosure Requirements

Disclosure is required for research posts where AI helped find sources, policy documents with AI assisted structure, or any content where AI contribution was substantial.

"Research conducted by OP Voice, gaps filled and verified with AI assistance. Draft organized with AI tools, substantially edited for accuracy and voice."

Part V

Accountability When AI Gets It Wrong

No verification process is perfect. If AI-assisted research leads to an error in published work, our response is human-centered:

Public Correction

We correct it with the same visibility as the original post, explaining what went wrong (bad source, flawed synthesis, verification gap).

Human Accountability

We don't hide behind "the AI got it wrong." The human verified it. The human published it. The accountability is 100% human.

What This Means for Readers

When you read an OP Voice research post, the sourcing is real. I've read the contracts, the ordinances, and the vendor policies myself.

Where AI shows up is in the gaps: flagging a case I hadn't found, catching a logical inconsistency, or helping organize 30 pages of research into something readable. The positions, the framing, and the decision to publish are mine.

If something seems off or you want to see the underlying sources, ask. That's the whole point.

This policy is a living document, evolved through community feedback and technical changes.

© 2026 Overland Park Voice

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