This is the sad state of Tulsa. The BOA should have approved this with flying colors and been grateful for the chance to improve this site and Tulsa's tax base. (OK, assuming they went with Option 1, which is terrific; not Option 2, which is fugly.) This faces 15th street. It's respectful (in scale and tone) of the historic neighborhood. It's a couple blocks away from Boulder Towers--so nobody should say it's too much density. It's surrounded by commercial lots. It's EXACTLY the correct location for this type of development, and the design is great (again, Option 1). This design is pedestrian-oriented (it's attractive, human-scaled, and the garage access is from the alley, it's not monolithic, it has balconies to add "eyes on the street", etc, etc). So why did this not get approved? Crazy!
If the developer can't wait for the new zoning code, which would allow them to re-zone and build this "by right," they should just get a PUD and do their plan. It's appropriate for the site, and it adds density, it's respectful of the neighborhood, and the pedestrian would enjoy their experience walking by. It's actually a terrific example of what Tulsa needs. And it would help people understand the benefits of adding density via a nice development in the right place.
Just one more example of how the city and/or it’s planning arms ignore the smart development that study after study says we need.