When starting a business or development, one of the first steps is to check for Zoning Restrictions. Please make sure the type of business or development is located in an approved area of the City. Other factors to consider include regulations on business signage and parking. The Community Development Department will be able to provide you with this information and can be reached at (913) 742-6011.

Regulations pertaining to development, including land use, zoning, site plans, and special use permits are contained in the Subdivision Ordinance (Shawnee Municipal Code Title 16) and the Zoning Ordinance (Shawnee Municipal Code Title 17).

Site Plan approval is required in the City of Shawnee to encourage the compatible arrangement of buildings, off-street parking, ingress and egress, lighting, landscaping, and drainage of the site, promote safety and convenience for the public and preserve property values of surrounding properties.

Site plan approval is required before a building permit may be issued for any duplex, multi-family, commercial or industrial buildings. Site plans are also required for any special use permit, and for any rezoning to any zoning district with the exception of the Agriculture (AG) zoning district or the standard single family residential districts.

Site plan approval generally includes landscaping requirements for the site. The final site inspection includes verification of whether the approved size, type, and number of plantings have been installed.

Parking lots that contain more than a double row of stalls must have exterior and interior landscaping. At least 6% of the interior of the parking lot must be landscaped.

In general, one street tree per 40' of street frontage and 16 site trees per acre of open space are required. Trees may be clustered and need not be planted evenly at 40' intervals. In addition, one tree is required for every dwelling unit in single family use districts. Deciduous trees must be a minimum 2.5" caliper, ornamental trees are required to be a minimum 1.5" caliper and coniferous trees must be at least 5' tall when planted. All primary lawn areas must be sodded. All landscaping must be in place prior to issuance of a Final Certificate of Occupancy.

• Residential/Mixed Use $400.00
• Commercial/Office (less than 10,000 sq. ft.) $200.00
  Commercial/Office (greater than 10,000 sq. ft.) $500.00
• Industrial (less than 10,000 sq. ft.) $200.00
  Industrial (greater than 10,000 sq. ft.) $500.00
• Revised Site Plan $175.00
  Administrative Site Plan $150.00

The first step in seeking approval of a site plan is to request the first of a series of pre-application conferences with a member of the Planning Department staff.

A Plat is a formal document containing a legal description of a parcel of land, including survey dimensions, angles, and curves prepared by a licensed engineer or land surveyor. In Shawnee, platting generally is required whenever a tract of land is split into two (2) or more tracts, lots, or parcels.

The City of Shawnee requires the submission of both a preliminary and final plat. The preliminary plat is reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission. A preliminary plat indicates where the developer intends to locate lots, rights-of-way, easements and open spaces, and their relationship with neighboring developments and the Land Use Guide. Approval of a preliminary plat is effective for 1 year, unless the Planning Commission grants an extension. If a final plat is not submitted within 1 year of the approval of a preliminary plat, the preliminary plat must be resubmitted to the Planning Commission for approval. Approval of the preliminary plat does not constitute acceptance of a subdivision, but rather is an authorization to proceed with the preparation of a final plat. Final plats are reviewed and approved by both the Planning Commission and the Governing Body. The fee must accompany the application. The application fee for Preliminary and Final plats are as follows:

Base: $150.00
Per Lot: 1-10 Lots: $6.00
11-50 Lots: $5.00 51-150 Lots: $4.00
151-500 Lots: $3.00 500 Plus Lots: $2.00

After being approved, a final plat is filed with the Johnson County Register of Deeds, and regulates how the land described in the plat will be subdivided.

The first step in seeking approval of a preliminary or final plat is to request the first of a series of pre-application conferences with a member of the Planning staff and Engineering Division.

All plats approved and accepted by the Governing Body and recorded in the Johnson County Register of Deeds office on or after July 1, 1998 are subject to an excise tax. For purposes of calculating the tax, the area of the plat shall not include land dedicated and accepted by the City for public right-of-way for arterial or collector streets or land dedicated to and accepted by the City for open space. The excise tax is 21.5 cents per square foot of the area of the plat, provided that the area will be modified by certain deductions, exceptions, and credits.

All plats approved and accepted by the Governing Body and recorded in the Johnson County Register of Deeds' office before July 1, 1998 were subject to a Peripheral Street Fund resolution. The Peripheral Street Fund resolution was applied to all property developed with frontage on or lying within 1/4 mile of a designated City arterial or collector street. This fee was calculated based on a per-square-foot cost for land within 1/4 mile of a designated arterial or collector street. The Peripheral Street Fund was only applied to the unimproved streets the applicant was not required to improve as part of the requirements for a new development. The amount was generally based on the estimated cost of constructing such a street.

Shawnee Municipal Code Section 16.16.050, Open Space Dedication and in Lieu Fees, requires the reservation and dedication of land for schools, parks, playgrounds, or other public recreational areas or open spaces for subdivisions more than five (5) acres in size. Public ways, such as streets and easements are not considered open space. If the Planning Commission determines that the tract being subdivided is unacceptable for dedication, it can require an open space fee in lieu of dedication of open space. The open space fee is calculated by one of three methods and must be paid to the City prior to the issuance of building permits on each individual lot:

• Per Residential Unit $400.00
• Commercial per sq. ft. of lot area 4¢
• Industrial per sq. ft. of lot area 2.5¢