That site is completely ridiculous. Why is there no zoning downtown to prevent this type of development from happening? No one can go something build up to the street with minimal parking at 101st and memorial, so why is it perfectly legal for someone to build a huge suburban development with 4 acres of parking in downtown?
Because certain property owners downtown fight against there being any zoning and they get their way. "Why take away peoples freedom to do what they want with their own property?" "The free market will find the best solution, if something doesn't work, it won't last for what works will eventually be put in its place." etc. etc.
When I tried to get the zoning overlay potential for downtown into the new comprehensive plan. Well the vote was last month, I did what I could. The vote was one for (moi).... everyone else against.
I still think the most important thing we need to do or that even Tulsa Now could do, is to inform people in these positions what pedestrian friendly zoning and such is. Many of the people on the DCC probably don't know much if anything about the issue and nobody asked questions. Some came up to me afterwards and apologized saying they just didn't know enough about the issue, (though I thought I explained things as best I could) and felt bad.
The zoning overlay potential would not have even put any zoning in downtown, but would have allowed property owners themselves to have zoning on their own property (after they went through a lengthy process and the zoning change was shown to advance the downtown master plan). But even this minor thing was shot down.
The only way to get zoning downtown is to write in to the Plan-Tulsa in support of it, and speak to your local city councilor and let them know you would support it.
