What is the role of the adopted Land Use Area Plan?

The city is currently divided into 19 geographic areas for which area plans are being prepared and updated. Area Plans usually cover all of the relevant physical development components, including land use, zoning, water and sewer needs, street and traffic planning, fire and police stations, topography, slopes, soils, historic preservation, and urban design elements. Although Missouri law does not require that particular zoning decisions strictly conform to the land use plan, it is one of the major factors courts will consider when reviewing a city’s zoning decisions, and one of the primary bases used for the staff’s recommendation on any particular zoning request.