Councilor Seeks to Annex Fairgrounds

[Double A]

City Councilor Seeking To Annex Fairgrounds To Save Bell's Amusement Park
Sunday November 19, 2006 10:29pm   Reporter: Burt Mummolo   Posted By: Kevin King


Tulsa - A Tulsa city councilor has a bold plan that could save Bell's Amusement Park -- annex the Tulsa County Fairgrounds. The idea could boost city revenues by hundreds of thousands of dollars in new sales taxes and maybe help preserve a Tulsa family tradition.

City Councilor Roscoe Turner says it is high time the city gets some revenue off of what happens at Expo Square. County Commissioner says we'll take a look at it, but you won't get a say in what happens to Bell's.

The Golden Driller watches over it. But, Tulsa County owns it. The land of the fairgrounds is dotted with money-making ventures for the county, but not the city.

"Time has come for the fairgrounds to become city of Tulsa," Turner says. "The council would fight for Bell's. I'm sure of that."

"Needless to say, our family is deeply touched and flattered that city council officials would try and do something like that," says Robby Bell, the owner of Bell's Amusement Park, who welcomes any political leverage that could keep the park from leaving Tulsa.

"We've had inquiries from many different communities around Tulsa," Bell says.

"I'm sick of sending business out of Tulsa to these small bedroom communities," Turner says.

County Commissioner Randi Miller says hold the phone -- annexing the fairgrounds and any say about the future of Bell's.

"In no way would the City of Tulsa take the properties of the fairgrounds," Miller says. "The would just ask us to start putting sales taxes on the constituents."

The end result? The city gets a fatter wallet. But, Bell's is still left out in the cold.

"You know, a few days ago, I was pretty depressed," Bell says. "And, I called one of my friends who is a district fire chief here in town and he told me 'Robby, there's a lot of people here in Tulsa that want to see Bell's 100th anniversary.'"

Councilor Turner hopes to put the item on the agenda later this month. Meanwhile, as to the fate of Bell's, the current 120-day order from the county would mean that Bell's would have to close its doors sometime in March.

[Route66Kid]

I'm trying to feel some sympathy for Bell's but it is extremely hard.  My first job in high school was as a ride operator for Old Man Bell way back in '75.  Robby was a snot-nosed kid.  

After a couple months of operatating those rides I was ruined for life.  

All the years I spent in California stationed two hours away from Disneyland and Magic Mountain, never once did I feel the urge to go to either one.

[makelifebetter4ok]

It's not really about Bell's, is it?  It's more about three ARROGANT SOB's with their comfortable fifdoms who think they can run roughshot over any peon they so choose.

MAKE LIFE BETTER.

[MH2010]

Does anyone know if the City of Tulsa can annex the fairgrounds if the county does not want to give it up?

[nsugrad_05]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010

Does anyone know if the City of Tulsa can annex the fairgrounds if the county does not want to give it up?

Since the county actaully owns the property, I dont think they can.

[tim huntzinger]

Randi Miller - that fount of knowledge - alluded to an uncited State law that prevents that.  She also questioned whether the City could afford it, anyway.

Saaaayyy . . . can we trade the Fairgrounds for the BOK Center? Inasmuch as the Arena's justification for existence is that it will benefit the region, can we not just give the Arena to the County?

I am with 66KID, and Robby is beginning to look more clueless by the day.  He will not grant an interview to KRMG, and apparently has not given specifics about his plans for the park.

[waterboy]

The battle here is not between the governmental entities. Its for the support of the public. Bell's hasn't been treated badly but the public doesn't understand that. They see Robbie as David vs Goliath. Tulsa deserves better than what Bell's has done with the property. The public is rallying for nostalgia not reality. Bell's will win and the public will lose.

[rwarn17588]

Roscoe has lost his mind if he thinks the city can annex the county fairgrounds.

[inteller]

Actually, I think Tulsa needs to annex all of the islands inside its limits.  Who responds to crime at the fairgrounds?  The county po po, not tulsa.  That makes emergency response a grumble.

Tulsa should have done what Jacksonville, FL did, annex everything out to the county lines.  That would remove any questions about which people can do what where.

[aoxamaxoa]

Annex that bimbo Randi Miller....she thinks she's mayor anyway....what a twit.

[Kiah]

Why couldn't the city annex the fairgrounds?  There's a difference between owning the land and just bringing it within city limits.  After all, the federal buildings are within city limits.  So are other county buildings, such as the courthouse.

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by aoxamaxoa

Annex that bimbo Randi Miller....she thinks she's mayor anyway....what a twit.

She is getting a F*#@king attitude....I think it's Roscoe's best idea yet....


Btw could someone shrink that picture to make this thread easier to read....

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

The battle here is not between the governmental entities. Its for the support of the public. Bell's hasn't been treated badly but the public doesn't understand that. They see Robbie as David vs Goliath. Tulsa deserves better than what Bell's has done with the property. The public is rallying for nostalgia not reality. Bell's will win and the public will lose.

I would be just as sad as the next guy to see Bell's go, but I agree with you.  I had many a birthday party there as a kid in the early 1960s, the "pre-Zingo" days, and have a box full of old snapshots of the parties at Bell's.  It was so much nicer then, the miniature golf course was pristine with all the old water features working; a real quaint, old-time amusement park.  Today I think it looks trashy and neglected.  It may just be in the fairground's best interests (and the citizens of Tulsa) for Bell's to move and landscape the property to incorporate it into the fairgrounds.  The fairgrounds has a finite land area, and Bell's as it is now is no asset, at least esthetically.  Bell's has also increasingly become a hangout for delinquents and unsupervised teenage thugs looking for fights and trouble.  I say adios Bell's.

[Double A]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

Roscoe has lost his mind if he thinks the city can annex the county fairgrounds.

Roscoe's crazy like a fox. Proving yet again...

[Double A]

If Bell's does go to another town, I hope it ends up in Sand Springs.