Grow Up Tulsa (Blake Ewing)

[JoeMommaBlake]

I certainly appreciate Michelle's willingness to serve our city in the way that she does and her articulate blog. Forgive me that I don't see a point there that "had to made." I saw her misunderstanding and debating my post, then concluding her entry by completely agreeing with the same solutions I've been blogging for the last few weeks.

I'm glad you think Tulsa is doing great. I think some Tulsans are doing great and therefore, I suppose, some parts of Tulsa are also doing great. I think we've got potential, but I may have traveled too much and may be a little too close to the action to consider what our city is doing as great. We're a wonderful city and can be even better, we're just not "doing great."

I think the ballpark and the arena are wonderful additions to downtown. I love what Elliot's doing and I'm proud of what we've accomplished downtown. I'm an optimist. Trust me. I'm as positive as it gets about where Tulsa is going and as excited as anyone about what we can be. I'm not, however, willing to say that what we're doing is great. Some great things happening isn't enough to give that assessment to the whole city and while our downtown is improving, take one guy (Elliot) out of the mix and it looks very very different today.

PlaniTulsa is exciting and I'm hopeful that its implementation will bring about some much needed changes to our outdated and shortsighted zoning and code. Until those things change, greatness will be significantly more difficult to achieve.

I agree completely with your points about the mayor and council. This situation is exactly what I'm talking about. Time to grow up.

I don't know that development is being hurt by naysayers or that I've said that. If so, I'll clarify. Development has been hurt by years of poor leadership at city hall. Consider my perspective. Back Alley has gone through over two months of administrative review and is now involved in another one. I'm spending thousands (no joke) of dollars in architectural fees, etc. just to have the conversation with city permitting about our project. It's delayed construction and therefore delayed my opening, costing me even more money. The very same day we finally (after two and half months) got a permit for our courtyard and rooftop bar (complete with sprinklers under the decking), our sign application was denied (because it's on the rooftop and on the side of the building and not the front). If I want that argument to be heard, I have to go before the board of adjustment (a 45 day process and another $600+). It's ridiculous, guys. I can't say it enough. Our code is absolutely nuts in so many ways. Logic, reason, and common sense are not often a part of the process. I could write a book. Seriously. I should just start blogging the details of our attempts to develop downtown and the resounding "eh..." we get from city hall any time we want to do something unique and special. This code came about because elected and appointed leaders didn't stand up to the vocal few, and the way it continues to be interpreted and enforced is a result of the same lack of leadership and vision of which I've spoken. It is critical that our new master plan produce dramatic changes. Due to message board and blog dynamics, I think I must not be coming across the right way here. Tulsa is great. The process is great. I've never said anything to the contrary. When I'm voicing frustrations, it's because I think we should be moving the ball forward at city hall. Instead, very different and fruitless things are on the agenda to the detriment of our great city. Developers should be flocking to downtown right now. Our very own city and its code is playing a role in keeping that from happening. That isn't just frustrating, it's infuriating. I'm writing because I care so much. I want so badly for us to be what we can be and when I care more than the people we've elected, it gets me really riled up.

Trust me that I'll never use the "Tulsa sucks" mentality to push through my version of what Tulsa should be. I might, however, start preaching from the rooftop that our code sucks and when our leaders are blowing it, I'll call them out. Tulsa is way too great for a code this bad and for our leaders to be letting us down like this. I feel like I'm doing my part. I know many of you are doing your part. I'm just wanting the people who ran for office to do theirs and remember why they wanted to be there in the first place. We need to expect them to act like worthy stewards of our city. We need them to think as big as we do.

As for the China tank example. I don't think it was appropriate for a number of reasons. I wasn't nitpicking that and I'll stand by my statement, though I appreciate that you cleverly caught it and brought it up =).  I know she wasn't equating their principles, but she was was using intense hyperbole, which makes the discussion an unfair one. Let's be honest, though. Protesting an oppressive government in historic and dramatic fashion can hardly be compared in any way to showing up at a meeting at city hall to ask the new church to mitigate their light pollution. The lone protesters deserve to get to have their say (and celebrated when they're standing up to something bad). I just want our leaders to consider the much bigger picture when making rulings and recommendations and I want us to debate fairly.

I think we're all saying the same basic things. If there's one thing I feel like I should keep clarifying it's this: I don't think questioning the things that are not right about the city (especially its government) means I don't think the city is great. I'm not complaining to hear myself talk. I'm asking us all to believe in something even better for ourselves and for Tulsa. I wan't that to be a good thing. I believe my employees can be better. I think they can grow and learn and improve. It doesn't mean I don't love them and value them today. In fact, I'm proud of them and glad they're in my life and in my company. I think it actually shows less love and concern if I just blindly proclaim their greatness and spare them the high expectations. I don't want to have to keep defending that. I love this city as much as anyone. I'm passionate about it and am wired to be a part of shaping its continued growth and improvement.

[pmcalk]

Blake—

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  And to those who responded, as well.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and what you have done downtown (not to mention a great love of your pizzas).  The reason I wanted to respond to your post was because I have grown tired of the constant drumbeat that city hall is destroying this city, which you hear from many sources, not just you.  You hear it mostly from our daily paper, which constantly bemoans the dismal state of city hall, all the while foaming at the mouth because nothing sells paper like drama.  I have lived in cities whose battles and scandals make Tulsa look tame (I was in New Orleans when Edwin Edwards was hauled off to prison & DC when Marion Barry was released).  So, one of our councilors believes the mayor violated his oath of office, and is therefore filing a petition provided for under state statutes.  Heck, at least there are no hookers involved (that I know of).  I'm not saying it's good, just that it's not really destroying our city.  Good things are happening, and will continue to happen.  Of course, when papers & leaders repeat over & over that it is destroying our city, I worry that it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As I said, and as you pointed out, there are probably more areas upon which we agree than disagree.  I simply wanted to provide a different perspective, that perhaps all of the disagreements are good in that they will eventually lead us to some place better.  And while the lone Chinese man standing before a tank may have seemed a bit over the top, I was simply trying to convey that the passion that some people feel for issues, and their willingness to stand up to adversities, is a good thing, it's what makes our country great.  Like akupet said, it wasn't intended to equate someone arguing about zoning with someone standing up to a dictator.  We all have our opinion about issues affecting our city--who is a lone visionary fighting against the odds, and who is simply a nay-sayer, is subjective.   

As for the zoning code, I completely agree with you, but disagree a bit at how we arrived at such a pathetic code.  First, it was written in the 70s.  At the time, it was state of the art.  But of course it was designed to create the types of structures and neighborhoods that were desirable in the 1970s.  Since that time, our city has been reactionary, not visionary, when it comes to amending the code.  Every time something bad happens, we try to amend it to prevent that from happening again.  Through the years, there have been hundreds and hundreds of small amendments here and there, so that it no longer functions in any coherent way.  Like a car that has been jerry-rigged one too many times, it has become an ugly, monstrous jalopy.  But I would say that some of your problems seem to stem not just from the zoning code, but from the building code, which really doesn't get the same kind of public scrutiny.  Perhaps it should.  Also, I'm not a developer, but I wonder how different Tulsa really is compared to other cities when it comes to bureaucracy & new development.  We recently had dinner with a cousin who owns a restaurant in Brooklyn. He had some real horror stories.  Again, not saying its a good thing, but I suspect that doing something new and inventive can be difficult in most cities.

Finally, you're way too young to be a grown-up.  Of course, my line for "grown-up" keeps moving as I get older.  I'm thinking maybe 60s now.  My comment about grown ups and change was based upon a recent observation involving a 60 year old and an iPhone.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Some good stuff here from both of you.

I got a snarky little comment about 70s zoning being "state of the art".  I definitely disagree about that.  This is the zoning code that tore down the Rialto, the Orpheum and got us the Williams tower where it is.  And I do believe it could benefit from some revision.  (No specific recommendations now, just a general feeling.)

[cannon_fodder]

1. This is the best message board discussion anywhere for a very long time.

2. The 1970s code comment makes so much sense.  We are trying to fit the entire city into an east Tulsa box.

3. The discord at city hall, the code, and our development challenges are a reflection of widespread apothy about Tulsa.  If you aren't proud of your city, you don't care.  And that has become too common.