City considers swapping donated high ground for swamp land

[shadows]

The city is considering a swap of the donated high ground at the foot of the Osage Hills, valued at 2.77 million dollars, with a private owned University a parcel of its donated land in the Bird Creek Basin flood plain, valued at 1.56 million dollars.

The Air Port Authority's long range plan is to fill this flood plain.

Seems while back Owasso put out information that if Tulsa increases flooding in Owasso they will take appropriate action to protest their citizens.

Doesn’t this require an intelligent study by the council before the swap is made?         

[Hoss]

The city is considering a swap of the donated high ground at the foot of the Osage Hills, valued at 2.77 million dollars, with a private owned University a parcel of its donated land in the Bird Creek Basin flood plain, valued at 1.56 million dollars.

The Air Port Authority's long range plan is to fill this flood plain.

Seems while back Owasso put out information that if Tulsa increases flooding in Owasso they will take appropriate action to protest their citizens.

Doesn't this require an intelligent study by the council before the swap is made?         

Would be nice to cite or link this...how can you expect people to form an opinion on it otherwise?

[shadows]

Try TW page one Friday Feb. 17 2012 addition?

May have pictures of the flooding and you can check with weather bureau on dates of Bird Creek flooding. 

[Hoss]

Try TW page one Friday Feb. 17 2012 addition?

May have pictures of the flooding and you can check with weather bureau on dates of Bird Creek flooding. 

Is it really that difficult for those of us who don't read the TW for you to make the cite in the initial post?

Thanks.

[Ed W]

I think INCOG has a role in flood mitigation, and that federal rules prohibit filling flood plain unless the fill material is taken from that same area.  In other words, you fill one area by digging the material out of another. That came out of a meeting about future development in Mohawk Park, which is part of the Bird Creek floodplain.

The only area that is flood prone around Owasso is the pecan grove between Bird Creek and 76th St along Mingo Road.  If we receive several days of rain, it will cover Mingo with a foot or two of water, but none of the steams are close to the airport, so it's unlikely that any airport development would add to flooding woes.  Remember, though, that there's a stream improvement project that from the air looks suspiciously like a third north-south runway.

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120217_16_A11_Cityco288585

Land swap between city, TU discussed
By JARREL WADE World staff writer
Published: 2/17/2012 

City councilors discussed a proposed resolution Thursday to swap land near the Gilcrease Museum owned by the city of Tulsa for land near the airport owned by the University of Tulsa. The trade would allow airport officials to continue development on an intermodal corridor to connect the airport to nearby rail lines, airport officials said. TU would be able to pursue plans of adding university-owned buildings to complement the programs at the Gilcrease Museum, said Susan Neal, TU's associate vice president of public affairs and economic development.

Jeff Mulder, airports director for the Tulsa Airport Authority, said the intermodal connection is still in development phases, but it's an overall effort to diversify Tulsa International Airport's revenue. The project would create a hub of several types of transportation that could all flow through a single location, councilors were told. Mayor Dewey Bartlett and councilors talked about the intermodal project as one of their goals during a joint discussion earlier this month.

Owning the land would increase the airport authority's chances of getting grants to continue the project, Mulder said. During Thursday's Public Works Committee Meeting, Councilor G.T. Bynum questioned whether the land swap was a fair trade because the property owned by the city near the Gilcrease Museum was appraised at more than the TU-owned property near the airport. Councilor Jack Henderson said the deal could not be better because it would help further the plans of both organizations. "I've never seen a deal come up that's a better deal than this one," he said.

"When you look at the money they are going to save us in the future, ... it's nothing compared to what they (TU) have done and what I'm sure they will do." Councilor Phil Lakin offered to postpone the proposed resolution discussion until next week, but Councilor David Patrick said he was aware of a desire to announce the swap publicly Feb. 24, pending the resolution passing in council. Councilors agreed to meet with officials to discuss the resolution further before next week.

The TU land, near 56th Street North and U.S. 169, consists of 250 acres valued at $1.56 million, according to information provided at the committee meeting. The city of Tulsa land is immediately west of the Gilcrease Museum and consists of 316 acres valued at $2.77 million. The TU land is a candidate for the intermodal project because of its proximity to U.S. 169, the airport and the Southern Kansas and Oklahoma Railway Line, according to a proposal given to councilors.

The city is joined by the Tulsa Airport Authority and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa as parties interested in the project, according to the councilors' information sheet. The University of Tulsa's interest in the property near the Gilcrease Museum stems from its management of the museum for the last three years. Neal told councilors about plans to build additions nearby that would complement the museum while staying in line with the museum's original goals. TU programs have raised $39 million to support the museum and raised $19 million to build a research center and a national archive, she said.

Neal said discussions about the land swap and possible uses began about two years ago. "We have a vision that we have shared with you all and certainly the city of a much broader, grander vision for the museum," she said. "It is Tulsa's world-class treasure."

[RecycleMichael]

I don't know any more than what I just read, but it doesn't sound like it is a terrible deal for Tulsa. Henderson is right about what TU has done for the museum. They have truly saved this treasure. 

[Conan71]

Even if the appraised value of land being swapped to the non-city entity is higher, if the entity can do something more productive with it than the city can, whether it's develop jobs or it's useful for educational purposes, etc. it adds more value to the community if someone is using it rather than it sitting fallow and collecting empty beer cans- in most cases.

[Teatownclown]

Land leases are usually difficult. This should be on a 25 year timeline. The offering will wind up as a round about subsidized (corporate welfare) method of providing jobs albeit the COT/Chamber should know better (Cherokee Industrial). 

[carltonplace]

So will Owasso be forced to protest its citizens?

[jacobi]

So, I have to ask the question, how the hell did TU end up with land that far flung?

[shadows]

So, I have to ask the question, how the hell did TU end up with land that far flung?

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Donation by the family who owned much of the land east of the airport.

At the meeting some years ago on the third runway I pointed out that many cities were moving their airports outside their cities to eliminate the sword that was hanging by a hair over the heads of its citizens.  The Authority's long range plan seems to be based on moving the city.   There is an accident waiting for its time to happen as there are many homes and schools in or near the flight patterns.   

[shadows]

So will Owasso be forced to protest its citizens?

...

Sorry but that is mistake on spell-check autocorrecting and neglecting to proof read before hitting the post button. 

[AquaMan]

Too late to move it too Owasso. Maybe Catoosa would consider moving so we could put it there.

I do like the idea Shadows. Phoenix moved theirs out away from town (which immediately caused suspicion I might add). The area between here and Bartlesville is very flat and might make a great location. Both Bartlesville and Tulsa would get benefit.

[shadows]

Even if the appraised value of land being swapped to the non-city entity is higher, if the entity can do something more productive with it than the city can, whether it's develop jobs or it's useful for educational purposes, etc. it adds more value to the community if someone is using it rather than it sitting fallow and collecting empty beer cans- in most cases.

If the family who owns the private University would deed the University to the City, who has taxing powers, then the middle man would be cut out.  Our should the City of Tulsa deed the City to the University who has a long running policy of influencing the governing body of the City.

The governing bodies of the City have a long standing desire to fill the flood plain enabling them to build the third runway in the flood plain.