Form Based Code presentation - Thursday 4.9.09

[OurTulsa]

Surprised this hasn't hit the TulsaNow airwaves yet.  The consultants working with the City of Tulsa and INCOG on creating a Form Based Code for the Pearl District (at least the part included in the Central Park TIF) are giving a presentation, a Form Based Codes 101 of sorts, this Thursday at the Community Center at Centennial Park (6th/Madison) at 6:30pm.

Seems like another opportunity to learn about land use/development planning for the City.  The FBC's seem like a reasonable alternative to our current Use Based Codes, or one-size-fits-all approach. 

I happened to catch the announcement on the TMAPC website: www.tmapc.org

Fun Fun and glad to see the City and INCOG moving forward with this.

[OurTulsa]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090407_16_A10_Aconsu421115

Consultant to discuss zoning tool

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Published: 4/7/2009  2:23 AM
Last Modified: 4/7/2009  4:05 AM

A consultant hired by the city of Tulsa will be in town Thursday to speak about the use of form-based zoning codes.

The consultant, Mary Madden, is a principal with Ferrell Madden Lewis LLC of Washington, D.C.

Tulsa, like most cities, has a use-based zoning code.

"Typical zoning controls land use, and only indirectly deals with forms of buildings and streets," said Duane Cuthbertson, a planner for the Board of Adjustment. "Form-based codes directly address building forms and set broad parameters for use.

"They flip what's important."

Madden put it another way, saying the "idea of form-based codes is to think about your development regulations with the end result in mind."

Her firm has been hired to help create form-based development regulations as part of a pilot program covering part of the Pearl District.

The Pearl District is an older, decaying area bounded by U.S. 75 and Utica Avenue between Interstate 244 and 11th Street. In recent years, it has seen some improvements.

"The zoning that exists is really suburban in character," she said. "And it kind of prevents the kind of infill development the residents of that neighborhood said they would like to see."

Use of form-based codes would require an amendment to the city's zoning requirements, and it would be subject to approval by the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and the City Council.

Officials stressed that Thursday's speech will be on the general topic of form-based zoning, not on the particulars of the city's Pearl District pilot program.

We will explain "how they work, and we'll have lots of pictures showing examples of how they've been used in the U.S.," Madden said.

The city of Tulsa is updating its comprehensive plan, which provides guidelines for the city's physical development, including land use, transportation and infrastructure.

The city's zoning, or development, code is the tool used to put the comprehensive plan into effect.


speech


What: Mary Madden, of Ferrell Madden Lewis LLC of Washington, D.C., will speak on the use of form-based zoning codes

When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Main auditorium, Community Center at Centennial Park, 1028 E. Sixth St.


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Kevin Canfield 581-8313
kevin.canfield@tulsaworld.com