The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Just a quick note to let everyone know that PlaniTulsa will go before the City Council on Thursday for approval. 

According to state law,  the City Council has 45 days (August 27) to approve the plan in whole or part, or return the plan or any portion thereof to the Planning Commission for further consideration.

I think the TMAPC did a great job of keeping the public's vision for PlaniTulsa intact.  I hope the City Council will remember the thousands of people who worked to make this plan a reality, and will approve it without delay.

If you want to review the plan and the process it's been through, go here:
http://www.planitulsa.org/node/194 (http://www.planitulsa.org/node/194)

If you would like to support PlaniTulsa, please contact your city councillor today!

So much for the "without delay" part.

What happened?  Did they just run out of time?

They said that they couldn't vote on it b/c the online agenda didn't include a link to the PLAniTULSA website (backup documentation).  Don't know if that was just some weird stalling tactic or not.  It's now on the July 22 agenda.   I think everyone is expecting PlaniTULSA to pass on Thursday, but it will be interesting to see exactly who will vote for it...and moving forward, who will vote for the zoning code changes and other organizational changes needed to truly implement the goals and objectives of PLANiTULSA.

well it passed, now for it to be amended into oblivion.

I disagree.  The problem is not that the comp plan will be amended.  (Don't you wish the previous comp plan had been amended during the past 30 years?)  The challenge will be making the administrative and zoning changes needed to truly implement PLANiTULSA.

• The mayor needs to hire a planning director.
• Tulsa needs to look at which entity should coordinate short and long-range planning for our city.  Is INCOG the best qualified to do this?  What is their track record, and how could it be improved?  Or is the money we pay INCOG for "planning" better spent beefing up the city's own planning department?
• A huge list of zoning code changes needs to be implemented to encourage and accomodate smarter growth for the City of Tulsa....and to allow the concepts brought forth in PLANiTULSA to actually occur.

http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A39838 (http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A39838)

Delayed to Death?
PLANiTULSA could die from Mayor Bartlett's foot-dragging, critics say

"Bartlett maintains such perceptions are erroneous and that he is fully committed to carrying out the new plan.

"It's not on the shelf or being ignored at all," he said. "But one of the key recommendations of PLANiTULSA was the hiring of a planning director, and until we have a warm body occupying that position, it does give people the opportunity to think we're not following through on it."

Far more important to have communications directors, city managers, and what was that other new job title recently created for the daughter of a Bartlet (sic) supporter?

I wish we had a warm body occupying the position in the mayor's office...wait, that sounds dirty.

So planitulsa...anyone have any idea?  Should we expect a full on Tulsa?  A bunch of work, time and effort leading to nothing?

Anyone with an ear have any info?

Getting a bit frustrating.

Three things I know are working now:

City's moving forward with hiring a Planning Director.  They looked at internal candidates already and now they're moving on to a head hunter to help them attract outside candidates.  As with most City processes it takes time as they want to get the right person...too much time for some.  The idea is that this Director is going to take the Comp. Plan and work with public, TMAPC, PW, Finance, Parks, Chamber, and so on.

A group of City Planners (City Planning Dept. and INCOG) with a committee o' citizens is wittling down a short list of consultants to lead a Zoning Code/ Subdivision Regs. rewrite.  How far along are they?  Don't know.  I heard the short list has some cool cats (Code Studio and Camiros) on it with some really good experience writing wiz/bang codes.  I figure we'll hear something about public participation from either the TMAPC or the City Planning Dept.  Hopefully soon.

The Major Street Plan is getting reworked to incorporate ideas generated in the Comp Plan.  Don't know much about that effort or what impact it will have in the near term but I was told that's working too.


Ok, fourth one I just remembered, kinda PlaniTulsa/ Comp Plan related.  Fast Forward-transit plan being worked by INCOG.  I've heard it's going to make recommendations that align with and further support many of the ideas pushed in the Comp Plan.  I think it's close to wrapping. 

Ok, fifth thing, was happening prior to/during PlaniTulsa but the City did adopt a Form Based Code for the Pearl District.  That's pretty progressive for around here as that Code is pretty agressive toward a dense urban outcome according to our friend Mr. Jamison.

Darn, and another thing, the City Planning guys are working on a very very very cool project with the GKFF and TU in the Kendall Whittier area.  It will be pretty urban.  In affect, it will be the demonstration project Frego kept suggesting needed to happen to show that urban infill can happen without swallow or overwhelming nearby residential neighborhoods.

I know I've heard of other things from either INCOG or City Planning guys but I can't remember any more.

All said, there are things going on.  Maybe they're just not publicized often/well(?).  Hopefully some of these projects will accellerate and others will commence once our Planning Director is at the helm.

Thank you for the information.

It'd be great to hear something more often.

How bout planning to bury all utilities......

Not gonna happen in my lifetime, as long as this economy is the way it is.  I'd love to see it to mitigate power outages during spring storm season AND ice storms, but likely won't happen.

Can you imagine driving down Brookside and not seeing a single utility above ground.....

Hell, I'd like to see it in my neighborhood.

My grandmother lived over by Tulsa Country Club for years; and during that time her neighborhood was one they did bury the utilities.  It was like night and day when they got finished.

  You mean imagine showing out of town guests Brookside and telling them this is one of the nicer streets in town and while they are smiling and nodding politely, inside they would NOT be thinking "Gee gawd, this looks like something from a third world country"? Imagine that sort of thing? 

One of the reasons that the utilities are so noticable on Brookside is due to the loss of the trees in the walkway during the last streetscaping. I think trees should fundamental streetscaping element just as important as the curb and the sidewalk.

I agree, I love trees. But the problem in Brookside seemed to be more that the birds were congregating in the trees and pooping on the cars with reckless abandon!

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