Preserve Midtown

About Neighborhood Conservation Districts Myth: Supporters of Neighborhood Conservation Districts (NCD’s) “under the radar.”                                                                                                            Mythbuster: PreserveMidtown hasn’t been hiding anywhere!

1.  Through a suggestion by Cason Carter, PreserveMidtown was created to bring public awareness to the issue of infill development in January, 2007.

2.  We attended the Mayor’s neighborhood picnics throughout the summer of 2007 to speak to the issues of infill development.

3.  We launched our website www.preservemidtown.com in June, 2007.

4.  We hosted a public forum on “Teardowns in Tulsa”  on infill development in October, 2007.

5.  We discovered through networking with Homeowner Associations that Maria Barnes was championing NCD’s.

6.  PreserveMidtown, along with the Brookside Neighborhood Association, the Coalition of Historic Neighborhoods, the Tulsa League of Women Voters and the South Peoria Neighborhood Connection Foundation, hosted a District 4 and District 9 City Council Candidate forum on February 25, 2008.

7.  PreserveMidtown distributed a survey to all city council candidates about the infill issues and posted it on their website, www.preservemidtown.com. 

8. PreserveMidtown distributed over 500 signs at the request of supporters of “building homes that fit the neighborhood.”

Myth: Supporter’s of NCD’s is a small group.

Mythbuster: We have contacted over 2,000 people who support and are interested in NCD’s.

 Myth: The committee drafting the NCD document is unfair.

Mythbuster: Steve Novick, attorney-at-law, who is a neighborhood advocate and board member of PreserveMidtown, sits on the committee.   Paul Kane, who is executive vice- president of the Homebuilder’s Association, also sits on the committee.

 Myth: Preserve Midtown just wants to control people.

Mythbuster: That is exactly what PreserveMidtown is against—control.  We want the discussion of who “controls” the neighborhoods to be held in a public manner with input from as many resident property owners as possible.

If anti-neighborhood conservation districts people don’t like control, why are they trying to control what happens in other people’s neighborhoods. 

Why would someone living on 45th street try to control what happens on 22^nd street by denying that neighborhood the ability to adopt a neighborhood conservation district?

   Myth: The city is acting like a communist government.

Mythbuster: “A conservation district zoning overlay is a more site-specific application of the city’s authority to plan and zone. The legal basis for conservation districts, therefore, are essentially the same as the legal basis for our current zoning code, as are the fundamental policy considerations (i.e. balancing private property rights and community interests.)” Jack Blair, “Neighborhood Conservation Districts”, November 20, 2007.

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Woo Hoo! Preserve Midtown is number 39!

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And for Tulsa, these are the people and organizations who make it happen 365/24/7.

Their passion is growth and development, righting wrongs, seeking truth and justice, usually, the American Way.  Super women and men and corporate citizens who see thinks in black and white, shades of gray and all the colors of the rainbow.”

Read more about all the “Hot 100″ in this week’s issue of Urban Tulsa Weekly, http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/index