A master plan helps guide growth and development over the next 10 to 20 years. The plan serves as a policy guide for future land-use decisions, transportation, protection of the natural environment, community services, and coordination of infrastructure.

The current Boone County Master Plan was adopted in 1996, so it has been over twenty-five years since the last plan. Boone County has seen significant growth since 1996. The county has added over 60,000 residents since 1996, a percentage increase of approximately 50%. Boone County was one of the fastest growing counties in Missouri over the last decade, based on the 2020 Census.

Plan components are expected to include community vision and goals, existing conditions, growth analysis, future land use, economic development, housing, transportation and mobility, natural resources, utilities, and community facilities. While the plan will cover many topics, key aspects will be the future land use plan and transportation recommendations for areas of unincorporated Boone County.

The jurisdiction of the plan will be the unincorporated areas of the County. However, cities in the County will also be involved in the planning process as it will be important to consider their future growth. In addition, the plan will concentrate more closely on areas of the County with current or expected growth.

The planning process began in the Spring of 2023 and will continue through the end of 2024. The adoption of the master plan is expected to take place in the Fall of 2024.

Great question! Public involvement is an essential part of this process. There will be multiple in-person and online open houses for the public to attend. A countywide survey will take place in 2023. In addition, the planning team will be meeting with numerous community stakeholders and organizations. Visit www.OurBoone.com to stay up to date.

An Advisory Committee and Technical Committee will help guide the process. The Advisory Committee has representatives from the Planning Commission, communities, businesses, organizations, and county residents.

The Technical Committee has representatives from County departments, utilities that service Boone County, fire districts, MoDOT, and other agencies.

The planning team is led by the i5Group, along with Community and Economic Development Solutions, SLU Community Planning Lab, Lochmueller Group, and BioHabitats.

The public will have multiple opportunities to provide input as the plan is developed. The Planning Commission will provide a recommendation to the County Commission to adopt the final Master Plan.

Engagement activities such as the open houses and the online survey will be open to all residents in the County. In addition, a paper version of the survey will be mailed to 2,000 households, chosen randomly, in unincorporated areas of the County. The mailed survey will be especially helpful in ensuring that residents from throughout the County are part of the planning process.

Visit www.OurBoone.com to stay up to date on the plan. The website will include updates about the process, schedule, and materials to review as they become available. You can also contact the Boone County Resource Management office at 573-886-4330.