Tulsa World: Hopefuls back density

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Hopefuls back density
The city must look at becoming more compact, two mayoral candidates say.

Independent mayoral candidate Mark Perkins (left) listens as fellow candidate Tom Adelson, a Democrat, addresses a question during the Tulsa Green Leaders Mayoral Forum on Tuesday. STEPHEN HOLMAN / Tulsa World

By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
Published: 9/23/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 9/23/2009 3:38 AM

See the Tulsa World’s city elections Web page for continuing coverage

Two of Tulsa's mayoral candidates stressed at a Tuesday night forum the importance of implementing the PlaniTulsa comprehensive plan to make the city more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Noting that Tulsa sits on more than 200 square miles — more than twice the area of San Francisco and Pittsburgh combined and with a fourth of those cities' population density — Democrat Tom Adelson said the developing plan calls for the city to become more compact.

"We have all this infrastructure and all this spreading out, and it's making us pollute more," he said. "It will demand that we be much smarter about our planning. It will mean saying yes to some types of development but it will also mean saying no to certain things."

The long-discussed south Tulsa bridge over the Arkansas River is something for the city to reject, Adelson said during the Tulsa Green Leaders Mayoral Forum at the Tulsa Garden Center, which drew about 80 attendees.

The bridge "would do nothing but increase our infrastructure costs and increase our dependence on our cars," he said.

Independent Mark Perkins said he's glad to see PlaniTulsa encourage density by adding more transportation options, including proposals to make the city more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly.

"People

should be able to go to work or go play in any way they choose without having to risk their lives," he said.

But the most critical part of the comprehensive plan effort is making changes to the zoning code, Perkins said.

"We can't just stop urban sprawl," he said. "We need to incentivize private businesses to stop it for us. We need to create conditions that encourage responsible infill development so businesses will come back into town."

Adelson and Perkins will appear on the Nov. 10 general election ballot with Republican Dewey Bartlett Jr. and independent Lawrence Kirkpatrick, neither of whom attended Tuesday's event.

Both candidates at the green forum said they look forward to recommendations from Mayor Kathy Taylor's recently assembled refuse and recycling task force on how to move forward with Tulsa's trash service.

The issue will be a major one for the next mayor, who will have to deal with the 2012 expiration of a contract that has governed trash collection in the city for three decades.

Perkins expressed his support for switching the city from the twice-a-week service that most have to a once-a-week, cart-based service that includes recycling.

"The only complaints I hear are that it would smell — which can be taken care of with a carefully tied knot — and that they generate too much waste for a once-a-week service — which can be taken care of with single-stream recycling," he said.

Perkins said he would challenge a family of 10 to fill one of the 96-gallon carts with all nonrecyclable materials in a week's time.

Adelson said he's keeping an open mind about switching the city to a once-a-week service.

But he said there definitely should be incentives for people who want to recycle and are more thrifty with their trash.

His own family of six should not pay the same trash rate as the single woman living next door to him, Adelson said.

The forum's sponsors included Sustainable Green Country, the U.S. Green Building Council, the American Institute of Architecture Committee on the Environment, the Sierra Club, Sustainable Tulsa and the Tulsa Young Professionals.

The event was held off the power grid, with Tulsa-based SolarGen Systems providing 5,000 watts of light using a portable solar generator.

Brian Barber 581-8322
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Adelson, Perkins call for city to be more environmentally friendly ," which was published on 9/22/2009.

	Report Comment rememberme?, (9/22/2009 10:02:23 PM) why did it need to be solar power? Steam power would have worked too with all the hot air blowing in the room.
	Report Comment nomosoetoro, Tulsa (9/22/2009 10:36:31 PM) Pure baloney...pure hokam....there is an easy way to make Tulsa more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Paint lines on the streets for bike lanes. It would limit cars to one lane each way, for example on East 31st Street, from Riverside Drive to Sheridan. But there would be plenty of room for everyone. And then, make sure the cyclists stayed in their lane, with stiff fines for a penalty. And make sure to enforce pedestrian right of way with plainly marked crossings. And signs informing drivers that pedestrians always...always have the right of way. Tough stuff, but it works. But politicians like to talk about it, but are reluctant to actually do anything about it.
	Report Comment nomosoetoro, Tulsa (9/22/2009 10:42:41 PM) And Addleson talks about crowding people up and making the population more dense. Has this idiot been to San Francisco lately? Could he possibly be serious? He drinks the same stuff imbibed by our crazy current mayor. Keep it simple, Tommy. Don't worry about infrastructure; worry about cops, worry about cars parked in alleys in downtown Tulsa. Pave the streets. Keep the water clean. But I think that a committed Democrat finds it hard to actually face problems like this and work to fix them.
	Report Comment Denver918, (9/23/2009 4:57:16 AM) Switch to two 90 gallon polycarts, one for trash and one for recycling, picked up once a week and be done with it.
	Report Comment SS_Hippy, Tulsa (9/23/2009 5:00:57 AM) Don't get any closer girl, that machine will make you want to reduce, reuse and recycle!
	Report Comment Denver918, (9/23/2009 5:05:40 AM) Implementing the comp. plan created by PlaniTulsa should be one of the next mayor's top priorities. Then a MAPS or Vision 2025-like project package could be put together for a vote with river improvements, infrastructure including light rail, completion of the Gilcrease Loop and a downtown streetcar, and more bike and jogging trails.
	Report Comment TCB, (9/23/2009 6:25:47 AM) Where was Bartlett? Keeping up his primary election tactic of refuse to appear anywhere to debate anything?
	Report Comment olddude, tulsa (9/23/2009 7:16:59 AM) The next Mayor should,forget,the river project,put it on the ballot,put all the issues on the ballot and let the entire city vote,not a select few.
	Report Comment WilliamTheArtist, (9/23/2009 8:43:59 AM) I am so glad both candidates are for improving our current zoning. Was told the other day that even something as "urban and compact" as Utica Square would be illegal to build with todays zoning and parking requirements. You also couldn't build another Cherry Street or Brookside type area.
	Report Comment Ex Adverso, (9/23/2009 9:12:17 AM) Adelson's nuts. The proposed bridge will chop as much as 10 miles off of some commutes. THAT will REDUCE pollution. He's another panderer.
	Report Comment Urban Crab, Tulsa (9/23/2009 9:20:43 AM) Tom Adelson is a carbon copy of Kathy Taylor. His way or the highway...as long as the highway doesn't have a bridge to cross. Bartlett is at least experienced in city government and has always demonstrated an even temperment. Adelson needs to return to his previously announced plan to run for Attorney General and get the heck out of Tulsa.
	Report Comment Red Ryder, (9/23/2009 9:26:14 AM) Density: the quality or state of being dense. That describes Adelson to a "T".
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (9/23/2009 10:45:47 AM) "...The long-discussed south Tulsa bridge over the Arkansas River is something for the city to reject, Adelson said during the Tulsa Green Leaders Mayoral Forum at the Tulsa Garden Center, which drew about 80 attendees. The bridge "would do nothing but increase our infrastructure costs and increase our dependence on our cars," he said. ..." This I agree with Adelson on. TCB, right now I'm on the fence between Adelson and Bartlett, but if Bartlett refuses to debate, he has lost my vote for sure. OldDude, you might be right, but only the City of Tulsa should vote on the river projects. Unlike last time when Tulsa County voted.
	Report Comment Curt, Broken Arrow (9/23/2009 1:35:38 PM) So these two want to make Tulsa "more dense and pedestrian and bicycle-friendly". Sounds like China, which I visited several years ago. No thanks. I am so glad that I no longer live in Tulsa. Apparently I am not alone since Tulsa population is declining and the suburbs growing rapidly.
	Report Comment Red Ryder, (9/23/2009 3:49:23 PM) If the City of Tulsa doesn't want any more development in the southern and southeast reaches of the city, it should deannex it. Jenks, Bixby and Broken Arrow will gladly take it in.
	Report Comment The A Team, (9/23/2009 5:43:08 PM) How will Dewey Bartlett face the City Council if he won't even face his opponents in debate?
	Report Comment nomosoetoro, Tulsa (9/23/2009 6:03:17 PM) denver918 is far too clever and knowledgeable for us. Obviously working at City Hall.

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