Wichita/Sedgwick County, Kansas

Consolidated Zoning Code
   

For the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Duncan Associates drafted a new multi-jurisdictional consolidated zoning ordinance. Upon completion of a code diagnosis, the agency requested that a totally new consolidated zoning code be drafted for the City and County. The primary purpose of the new consolidated zoning code was to implement the City and County's 1993 comprehensive plan. The key to drafting a new consolidated code that satisfied both the city and county was to identify and codify development standards and levels of service which reflected real and perceived differences between rural and urban lifestyles.

While the new code incorporated separate provisions for urban and rural areas, it also created a common set of procedures and definitions to facilitate regulatory communication within and between the two jurisdictions. The new code focused on consistency, organizational structure, regulatory sufficiency and development process efficiency. With urban growth consuming more and more of the farmland surrounding the City, agricultural preservation had become a major concern within the county. To address this issue, a new exclusive agriculture district was drafted and Min. area requirements were established for septic systems and water wells. Differential home occupation standards were also established for both urban and rural areas with more liberal provisions for occupations allowed in rural areas. Within the City, an interest in preserving historic structures and sites was accommodated through incorporation of new historic overlay district guidelines. The two existing codes were evaluated as to their conformance with the then new Kansas Planning and Zoning Enabling Act.

Period:    August 1993 - August 1994               Contact:    Dale Miller
Team:      Duncan Associates                                             Chief of Current Planning
                                                                                     316.268.4421