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New Construction in Midtown Tulsa
The majority of homes in midtown were built before 1950,
but
there has
been some new
construction ... particularly in the last 5 to 10 years. Due to
the high cost of building sites, most of this new construction has
been in the
higher price ranges,
New Midtown trend offers contemporary urban "loft style" living
Pockets of these modern new homes can be
Some of these
townhomes
offer a distinctively “Green” approach to new
construction
New Homes in historic Midtown inspire a bit of controversy
The
trend towards so
One group of citizens has banded together in protest and formed a website to call attention to their concerns and you can check it out here: Preserve Midtown They have proposed a number of new restrictions on new construction in midtown Tulsa, including new ordinances and even suggested establishing a moratorium on residential demolitions until so-called "conservation" districts are established. We applaud and support their enthusiasm and zeal for protecting our treasured midtown Tulsa neighborhoods while we also recognize the need for appropriate "infill" and "refill" development.
The bottom line is this: all of the original midtown neighborhood subdivision covenants have long since expired and there is scarcely little left to protect existing neighborhoods from inappropriate new construction. A lot of the new construction in midtown over the last few decades has added to the area's charm, but some of it has been less appealing if not downright out of character for the surrounding area.
For the preservationist minded buyer there are options for protection in Tulsa's Historic Preservation neighborhoods. New construction in those areas is subject to a Certificate of Appropriateness and must conform to certain design standards. But as of now, most of the rest of midtown has few restrictions on new construction beyond routine building codes with very little in the way of design guidelines. For more information on Tulsa's historic neighborhood assets visit the Tulsa Preservation Commission.
These days you seldom here much about the age old real estate hypothesis that in a free society a piece of land will almost surely seek its highest and best use. These are the market forces which can work for or against you, depending upon how much economic sense it makes to upgrade and grow with the prevailing market conditions. The strong, healthy and well maintained properties typically survive and the dysfunctional and neglected properties often make way for new growth, which if done appropriately, can add real value to the neighborhood.
So you have the "neighborhood advocates" on the one hand who argue that the fabric, character, and beauty of one of Tulsa's greatest resources - midtown neighborhoods - are being eroded, and claim that the teardown / McMansion craze is destroying cultural and social diversity in Midtown by demolishing affordable middle class and even upper middle class homes in favor of McMansions that only the rich and near rich can afford.
dangerous precedent and impede commerce and unjustifiably hinder a homeowner’s rights.
Some opponents say "Be careful what you wish for"
Some in
opposition to the proposed new limitations say that property owners,
It is probably safe to say there are valid arguments to support the concerns of
The challenge we face is how to balance our democratic freedoms, our right to own real property and use it as we wish and still protect our neighbors rights as well?
Why do communities need "infill" and refill" development?
Communities rely on ad valorem taxes to finance public schools, health and social services, county roads, law enforcement, libraries, and many other services, so maintaining a healthy tax base is important. Without the prospects for new growth, it is easy to see how a neighborhood might easily fall into decline, as some historic neighborhoods reportedly have.
Look what happened back in
the late 50's and 60's when there was absolutely no new construction in midtown
and families joined a mass exodus to new homes being built in south Tulsa and
the suburbs. Many of our most prized midtown neighborhoods fell into deep
decline that lasted close to 25 years before people started moving back and
renovating homes which helped inspire and give confidence to developers who
began to once again invest in midtown. While we benefit from protecting
the character of our historic neighborhoods we must be careful to not discourage new
construction which can contribute to that tax base
Hopefully a sensible compromise will be achieved
We applaud associations who stay involved and work to protect the interests of their neighborhoods. Watchdog groups can be very effective keeping people informed of the issues and land use decisions which impact them. We would respectfully request that everyone debate these issues without resorting to rhetoric, finger pointing and name calling that leads to further divisiveness and engage in a constructive and meaningful dialogue that will serve us all well.
New Comprehensive Plan ...the framework for a new approach
In July of 2010 the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission adopted and the City Council subsequently approved a new Comprehensive Plan after a massive planning effort called PlaniTulsa. Literally thousands of Tulsan's participated in planning process and one observation became crystal clear... citizens want to have a say in what their neighborhoods and commercial districts look like in the future.
While the plan is now public policy it can only be implemented once the zoning code has been updated, a process that could take from 18 to 24 months once it is begun in mid 2011. Until that time, we are hopeful that both development and neighborhood interests will work together to achieve the vision and goals of the new plan.
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