The City of Mission Hills, Kansas, is seeking to retain a qualified planning consulting firm to assist in the update of its Comprehensive Plan and Development Guide. The City's first Plan was authored by Dr. Thomas Galloway and adopted in 1981. The last full redesign was completed with the help of a consultant in 2015 with a minor amendment adopted in 2019.

Mission Hills, First conceived in the early 1900s by developer J.C. Nichols, was designed as the archetype of the City Beautiful Movement and is considered America's first and foremost garden community. Mission Hills is located in the middle of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Incorporated in 1949, the City is comprised of 1,327 single-family residences, 3 country clubs, 1 church, 32,000 linear feet of open channel streams, and approximately 3,594 residents. There are no commercial properties in Mission Hills other than the country clubs. Hallmarks of the original pattern of the City include picturesque curving streets, lots that preserve the natural terrain, and large houses set firmly in the middle of their lots with expansive green front lawns. This image has provided the foundation for the vision and policies of the current Comprehensive Plan, the guiding principles for the City's Zoning Regulations, and the Design Guidelines. Mission Hills has a unique infill redevelopment process that includes the Architectural Review Board (ARB). The ARB is responsible for reviewing all exterior structural projects. The ARB was created for the purpose of ensuring that all structures within the City meet certain minimum architectural and massing standards and are compatible with the character and context of the surrounding neighborhood while allowing for reasonable expansion. The ARB is charged with ensuring projects conform to the City's Zoning Regulations, Design Guidelines, and the Comprehensive Plan and Development Guideline. The City's Professional Review Panel (PRP) reviews each new substantial construction project before it is reviewed by the ARB. The PRP includes four consulting architects.

The consultant will prepare a new Comprehensive Plan and Development Guide that will provide a vision, goals, and policies to guide the City's redevelopment for the next 20 years. The Comprehensive Plan should reference and complement the City's Design Guidelines, Open Channel Master Plan, and Stormwater Pipe System Master Plan. It should also clearly articulate the key principles and goals in a readable and attractive manner in order to inform and engage readers. Consultants will work with City staff and the City's Planning Commission in completing the project. Consultants will also provide monthly updates on the work completed. The final copy of the revised Comprehensive Plan should be submitted to City Hall by December 2, 2025.

Full list of resources can be found at https://missionhillsks.gov/DocumentCenter/Index/20