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Boone County master plan looks at how county might grow by 2050

A close-up low shot of a snowy downtown Columbia street. Tires tracks are visible in the snow. Cars parked along each side of the street are covered in snow.
Jana Rose Schleis/KBIA
The plan says increased traffic congestion is a possible side effect of the county's anticipated growth.

Boone County is at a pivotal moment in its trajectory of population and economic growth, and local government officials are responding with a game plan.

The Boone County Master Plan is being updated for the first time in nearly 30 years, as the county likely reaches a tipping point in terms of growth, according to the draft plan. This growth has spurred demand for more affordable housing, infrastructure improvements and natural resource preservation.

A draft of the master plan, which is a guide to help the community accommodate future growth, was released in November. Local government officials are creating the plan to steer land-use planning decisions for the next 10 to 20 years, with input from residents, business leaders and other stakeholders.

After the project kicked off in April 2023, the master plan is set to be formally adopted in April or May, according to Kip Kendrick, Boone County presiding commissioner.

District I Boone County Commissioner Justin Aldred said the current master plan is outdated, and doesn’t adequately account for significant population growth and changing needs of the community.

“You don’t get anywhere without a plan,” he said.

The county has been holding various listening sessions and opportunities for the community to give their input on the county’s growth. Countywide surveying found that residents are concerned about increased traffic congestion, a shortage of affordable housing and a higher cost of living, according to the draft plan. Survey respondents also raised issues related to loss of farmland and natural areas as the county’s population grows.

According to the draft plan, the population of Boone County has increased by over 50% since 1996, when the current master plan was adopted. The nearly 200 page draft lays out a multitude of recommendations for balancing the varying needs of both rural and urban parts of the county, and is a reflection of many months of research.

Kendrick hopes the master plan is a reflection of how the community wants the county to grow in the future.

“We know that growth pressure is real, and that’s a good thing. We’re one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Missouri,” he said. “But growth doesn’t just happen magically. We have to make sure that we’re planning for it.”

The master plan must still undergo a few months of scrutiny before it reaches final approval.

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