Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulsa public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
17 issues in development
71st & Union apartment rezoning (CO-23)
A 266-unit workforce housing development near 71st and Union divided the council and the neighborhood. Residents cited traffic, Jenks school capacity, floodplain and gas line risks, and alleged backroom dealing after a key protest petition signature was withdrawn minutes before the deadline.
Brookside parking and mixed-use development
A property owner wanted to push parking spots 10 feet from the street instead of the required 25 feet near homes on 37th Place. Six neighbors opposed, arguing the extra two spots weren't worth eroding the transition between Brookside businesses and homes.
Youth Economic Mobility Goal
A subcommittee is building an annual survey/census tracking conditions affecting Black Tulsans across education, policy, and culture, using secondary data from partners like Impact Tulsa. Full commission approval is targeted for Q2 of next year.
Small assisted living options near St. Francis
An 11-bed boutique assisted living home is coming to an existing office building near the hospital — a rare small-scale care option for aging Tulsans.
Kirkpatrick Heights master plan and TIFIA grant progress
Work on the innovative finance grant for the Kirkpatrick Heights/Greenwood master plan is advancing, with a planned $80,000 engineering add-on to address stormwater, water, and sewer gaps identified in the plan.
TDA land development and small-developer support in North Tulsa
A family's plan to place a manufactured home on a North Tulsa lot divided neighbors over property values and neighborhood character; the board approved it with a replacement-unit condition.
Black Wall Street Square redevelopment timeline
Infrastructure analysis (water, sewer, stormwater) is due this month, with community engagement on development scenarios planned for November and a joint TDA-GLC RFP for missing-middle housing expected in December.
Greenwood Legacy Corporation capacity building and conveyance agreements
Tulsa is adapting Omaha's Empowerment Network playbook: a community-built action plan covering entrepreneurship, jobs, housing, and education, with monthly public meetings to keep momentum. Omaha's version produced nearly $2B in Black-led development and a 95% growth in Black-owned businesses with employees.
Hawk Derry building redevelopment near Kendall-Whittier
A rezoning at 10th and Lewis supports redeveloping the block around the Hawk Derry building, which just made the National Register of Historic Places. The project preserves the historic structure and adds lots of new housing.
Z-7872: Senior housing at former Sandberg Elementary
Vintage Housing wants to replace the closed Sandberg Elementary in east Tulsa with senior living — possibly two 80-unit buildings. Longtime neighbors worry about traffic on their quiet residential streets, especially with only four days' notice of the sale.
Saint Francis Hospital South expansion
The hospital's complicated site plan got a third extension of its preliminary plat, now valid through April 2027 — a sign of how complex utility and easement work is on a working hospital campus.
Planning Commission appointments
The reconstituted commission elected officers, adopted policies, and set its calendar in its first meeting; comprehensive plan text amendments updating TMAPC references come back October 7.
Garage expansion and drainage dispute on South Gary Avenue
A homeowner's garage expansion got approved 4-1, but the duplex residents behind the property testified that stormwater from the higher Gary Avenue lots already floods their patio after a pool was installed. Drainage will be reviewed at the building permit stage.
Affordable duplex housing on East Apache Street
A developer is building affordable duplexes — including housing for women coming out of abusive marriages — on a 50-foot lot that predates modern zoning. The board agreed the 1926 plat created the hardship and let the project go forward.
New Tulsa Animal Services facility nearing completion
After 13 years and $13.8 million in funding, Tulsa's new animal shelter should be ready by the end of September. It adds isolation rooms, a bigger surgery suite, separate cat and dog areas, and a sally port — all things the current shelter lacks.
Minchel Park duplex development adjacent to park
A duplex got the green light on East Oklahoma Place, and staff noted a large proposed NIO overlay expansion covering roughly 25,000 properties that would allow duplexes by right in that area.
Shadow Creek of Tulsa subdivision
119 more lots coming to east Tulsa as Settler's Hill Phase II got its preliminary plat approved without objection.