Tulsans provide input on plan

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PlaniTulsa's first meeting draws a full house.

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Published: 9/23/2008 2:07 AM
Last Modified: 9/23/2008 2:43 AM

PlaniTulsa's first meeting draws a full house.

An hour into the first citywide workshop on a new comprehensive plan Monday, about half of the 500 participants were either kneeling on their chairs or standing, the better to see the maps of the future they were designing at their tables.

"It's called pent-up demand," City Planner Ed Sharrer said. "People are ready to create a new vision for the city."

It's been about 30 years since Tulsa made a comprehensive update of its comprehensive plan, which provides guidelines for the physical development of the city.

"This is not going to be sitting on a shelf," Mayor Kathy Taylor told the crowd at the meeting, held at the Greenwood Cultural Center. "It's an action plan."

Melanie West hopes so. The 23-year-old north Tulsan heard about PlaniTulsa — the city's process for updating its comprehensive plan — from friends at Langston University-Tulsa, where she's studying to be a teacher.

West's No. 1 priority for north Tulsa?

"A grocery store," she said with a smile. And "just more facilities aimed toward educational resources for our kids."

Trent Fowler, 38, lives in the Renaissance Neighborhood near the University of Tulsa.

"I've lived here all my life, so I want Tulsa's future to be brighter," he said, adding that he'd "like to have some input."

"Plus, I live in a historic neighborhood," Fowler said, "so I kind of want control over that type of thing."

Some

control over the future — as much as is possible — is exactly what the workshops are designed to provide.

John Fregonese, the consultant hired by the city to oversee the comprehensive plan update, stressed that point in a brief presentation to participants before they went to work.

"You're king for a day at your table," he said.

The eight to 10 people at each table were asked to choose from one of four broad objectives — trends, economic development, retaining youth, and neighborhood empowerment — to help guide their planning. Then they were free to place stickers marked for specific types of land use, such as residential subdivision, wherever they liked on the 6-by-6-foot maps that were draped over each table.

As the maps filled with colorful stickers, the chairs emptied as people stood to see better what they were creating.

Sara Wiesman, 16, was one of those kneeling on her seat.

"I hope to really expand the historical places like downtown and the places that kids my age don't feel comfortable going to," she said.

At the end of the session, participants at a number of tables were asked to show what they had come up with.

Each table's design will be recorded by Fregonese's company, Fregonese Associates, and used to come up with several development scenarios that Tulsans will be able to comment on in the spring.

Kevin Canfield 581-8313
kevin.canfield@tulsaworld.com

PlaniTulsa citywide workshops

The city of Tulsa is updating its comprehensive plan, which provides guidelines for the physical development of the city.

As part of the process, three citywide workshops are giving Tulsans the opportunity to map out what they would like their city to become.

The first workshop was Monday night.

The second workshop, scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave., is full. A third PlaniTulsa citywide workshop will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood Ave. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m.

Workshops in each of the city’s nine City Council districts will be scheduled later.

To preregister for a workshop or for more information, call 576-5684 or go online to tulsaworld.com/PlaniTulsa.

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer

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WilliamTheArtist, (last year)

Sure you can point to exceptions, but the vast majority of developments in this city did indeed follow the last comprehensive plans guidelines. So too will the vast majority of future development follow this new one.

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yoyology, Tulsa (last year)

So, Righton, your solution is what? Wall off North Tulsa and leave it to the people who "belong" there so people like you don't have to watch it deteriorate?

I can understand being pessimistic about the outcomes of the planning process, but at least these people are doing something. At the end of this process, they will have the right to complain that they weren't taken seriously. You have no such right.

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The Bugle, Tulsa (last year)

I did attend last night and thought that it was remarkable that there were so many different people, from all over Tulsa and they were all looking for the same things:

- less sprawl
- better transit
- investment in North and East Tulsa
- a more sustainable future (see: the "car culture" is not a smart paradigm to build a future upon)
- Mixed use zoning around our schools for retail AND living solutions

Everyone was so supportive and full of great ideas from their perspective. You could tell this has been on the minds of a LOT of people.

Even the annoying guy at my table was tolerable when put in context.

It really was a great event and hope that more Tulsans get involved.

Thank you City of Tulsa and Mr. Fregonese.

And to all of the cynics and "all change is bad" types, your inability to realize that this town needs a transformation will leave you out of this entire process - and perhaps that's a good thing.

However, as last night proved, EVERYONE has something to offer.

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commonsense, Tulsa (last year)

righton- well said !!!....... from an ignorant point of view. All sectors of Tulsa some more than others could stand future development. This was a wonderful way to obtain data for future improvements of our city and it never fails that someone as shallow as yourself would provided some sort of negativity. It may not be your fault, you just wanted to bet the others to the punch, but you failed.

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