A homeowner in Woody Crest appealed to the BOA to ask that the board rescind the building permit for the large barn-like structure next door. The building permit was issued for a single-family residence in a RS-1 zoned neighborhood.

The big question is…is it really a house or is it a garage?

The appellant contends that the structure at 2640 South Columbia Place is actually a garage. It was stated at the hearing that the structure is approximately  a total of 5,500 sf. with 750 sf of living space and the remaining 4,800 sf is dedicated to car storage. There is also a commercial-grade drain running down the center of the first floor with other car maintenance equipment built-in. 

One of the BOA members said that it was obvious this project pushed the boundaries of the zoning code.

We are really scratching our heads over this one, however, this wouldn’t be an issue if Woody Crest had a SMALL AREA PLAN. 

A small area plan would allow the residents of Woody Crest to address the size and location of any barns, car showrooms or WalMart tire stores that were going to be built in their neighborhood.

Small area plans are an important part of PlaniTulsa.There were strong efforts put forth to remove this as a tool for mature neighborhoods but neighborhood advocates fought back. Small Area Plans will allow a self-defined neighborhood area to set special requirements for new development in their area

Please stay engaged and informed as Tulsa hires a new Planning Director and adopts a new zoning code. Property owners need responsible zoning laws. That is unless you want to live next door to a Jiffy Lube.

According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, “During the bubble, homeowners sought the biggest, splashiest home improvements to boost resale value. Now they’re doing smaller projects that deliver a similar result for far less money.

Factors that led to this dynamic include the slump in home sales prices, low homeowner equity, less available credit even for the affluent and people choosing to stay in homes as they age.
This is a great time for home renovations on a smaller scale. This trend for smaller renovations is increasing interest in not only remodeling, but also more sustainable and less costly energy use. People are looking for long term changes that will help them be able to stay in their homes.

Link: the-new-rules-of-remodeling: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

Careless builders and contractors are polluting our valuable watershed with silt, cement, paint and other trash which leads to flooding and polluted waters.

This costs us taxpayers extra money to unclog our storm sewers and it compromises the health of our water resources.

These builders are breaking the law and need to pay. If you see this in your neighborhood, please call Jack Page, 596-1846 and your city councilor.

PS. Our inspection department is complaint driven. We must do the reporting.

The EPA is actively enforcing the Clean Water Act across our nation. One of the many violators are residential homebuilders who are sometimes ignoring the rules. This results in taxpayers paying extra costs for clean-up of storm sewers and damages to their own properties.
This chronic action by some builders must stop! It is unfair to the residential homeowners who play by the rules themselves. It also puts a further burden on our already stressed city budget.
The city could levy significant fines on the few violating builders who chronically flaunt this law. The lasting effect would be cleaner sewers, cleaner stream water in our Arkansas River, more money in our city coffers and a healthier Tulsa.

Follow this link to read about this recent EPA action.