Downtown rezoning...in OKC

[Kenosha]

quote: Downtown Rezoning Project: In 2003, the City Council adopted the Downtown Oklahoma Strategic Action Plan 2010 that called for easier development in downtown, including Urban Design Guidelines for quality development, including design review process.

To achieve that goal, the Planning Department was directed to study existing zoning and land regulations in downtown and if warranted, draft new ordinances that meet the goals of the Plan.
The study area consists of land lying between NW 13th Street, the north side of the Oklahoma River, I-235, and Classen Boulevard. Currently the zoning pattern in this area consists of 15 different zoning districts, with no or little design standards or quality control.

The Planning Department has therefore created a draft ordinance and design guidelines that include:

Three zoning categories: DBD, DTD-1 and DTD-2 ( Downtown Business District and Downtown Transitional District Limited and General )

· Speaks to true mixed-use land development, with emphasis on the pedestrian
· Does not include Bricktown
· Creation of Downtown Design Review Committee
- Will review large projects, public and private, that requires building permit when dealing with exterior of building
- Creates Design Review Standards: Building Materials; Building Design (horizontal and vertical façade); Awnings/Canopies; Lighting;
Sidewalks (creates minimum widths, and Pedestrian and Streetscape
Zones); Streetscape Treatments (trees and street furnishings); Parking Structures
· Requires build-to lines instead of setbacks
· Requires retail located in structures over 50,000 sq.ft. to be built with a minimum of 2 stories
· Differences between DBD and DTD: Limited Industrial uses allowed in
DTD, not in DBD; No height restrictions in DBD, save for a portion of east side of downtown, DTD has height restrictions when abutting existing residential or historic preservation zoning; Sidewalks may be narrower in DTD, depending on land use-to be determined by Design Review Committee.

Status: The plan was unanimously approved by the Oklahoma City Planning
Commission with minor amendments. The plan is scheduled to go before City Council
in late February. If approved, plans are to have an effective date in May 2007.
Contact: Terry Taylor, City of Oklahoma City Planning Department,
405.297.1766

[perspicuity85]

TulsaNow needs to get behind a campaign to implement this in our downtown.  And let's bring back some of the CORE proposals.

[PonderInc]

Great proposal, OKC!  Tulsa definitely needs to establish similar rules governing downtown development.  But I assume OKC is not hamstrung by an organization called "OKC Unlimited?"