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RESOLUTION NO. R-1415-28: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING THE NORMAN 2025 LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN SO AS TO PLACE PART OF THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION EIGHTEEN (18), TOWNSHIP NINE (9) NORTH, RANGE TWO (2) WEST OF THE INDIAN MERIDIAN, NORMAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, IN THE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DESIGNATION AND CURRENT URBAN SERVICE AREA AND REMOVE THE SAME FROM THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNATION AND FUTURE URBAN SERVICE AREA. (EAST SIDE OF 12TH AVENUE N.W. APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE NORTH OF ROCK CREEK ROAD)
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SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The applicant submitted a request to amend the current land use designations shown on the NORMAN 2025 Plan for property generally located on the east side of 12th Avenue N.W. approximately one-half mile north of Rock Creek Road. The applicant is requesting to amend the NORMAN 2025 Land Use Plan from Industrial Designation to Low Density Residential Designation and from Future Urban Service Area (FUSA) to Current Urban Service Area (CUSA). This property was zoned I-1, Light Industrial District in September of 1970. The rezoning request is to go from I-1, Light Industrial District to R-1, Single Family Dwelling District.
The subject ten acre property was designated on the Norman COMPLAN, adopted March of 1981, as Industrial Reserve; this designation is essentially the same designation we currently use for FUSA's. Future Urban Service Areas are envisioned for a specific use; however, infrastructure is not yet in place to adequately serve the area. The NORMAN 2020 Plan, adopted March of 1997, again designated the area as Industrial - FUSA. In December of 2004, the NORMAN 2020 Plan was updated with the NORMAN 2025 Plan. With that 2004 update, this subject property was designated once again as Industrial - FUSA. However, it is important to note that between the adoption of the NORMAN 2020 Plan and the NORMAN 2025 Plan, the general area directly north and east of this proposal that had been previously designated as appropriate for industrial uses, changed from Industrial - FUSA to Low Density Residential - FUSA. This update to the Land Use was appropriate as several residential subdivisions had already been established east of this proposal, changing the area from industrial and agricultural zonings to residential zonings, making it necessary to update the land use. Development in the area east of this site, adjacent to Porter Avenue, was possible due to the Woodcrest Interceptor. An additional influence facilitating the residential development in this specific area, south and north of this application, was the completion of the Industrial Interceptor line in 2009. With the completion of this interceptor line the subject property can be connected to the gravity sewer system and now included in the CUSA.
The 2025 Plan identifies two criteria that must be examined before a land use change is approved.
1. There has been a change in circumstances resulting from development of the properties in the general vicinity which suggests that the proposed change will not be contrary to the public interest.
In recent years there have been numerous developments in this general area, both residential and industrial/commercial development.
To the north is the Greenleaf Trails Addition and Springs at Greenleaf, both Planned Unit Developments (PUD) for single-family homes. Currently, there are 164 lots that have been final platted with approximately 377 remaining in the preliminary plat.
Adjacent to this proposal, along the east boundary, is Trailwoods Addition, a single-family PUD. Trailwoods Addition continues southeast of this proposal, stopping at Rock Creek Road. Trailwoods Addition has 274 single-family lots final platted with an additional 194 possible in an approved preliminary plat.
Further east are several R-1, Single Family Dwelling District developments. This area consists of Highland Village Addition, Tecumseh Meadows Addition, Tecumseh Ridge Addition, Hawthorne Place Addition, and Tuscany Addition. At this time the total final platted lot count for those subdivisions is 681. There is the possibility of additional areas to be platted for single-family homes but at this time nothing has been submitted.
Directly south of this property is a detention pond. This common detention pond serves Trailwoods Addition, the Forest Lumber business to the south and this application, Trailwoods West Addition. This detention pond will serve as a buffer for this proposal from Forest Lumber to the south.
To the west, directly across 12th Avenue NW, is a materials' recycling yard. This recycling yard houses concrete, wood pallets and other miscellaneous recyclable materials. There is a mix of industrial/supporting office uses farther south along 12th Avenue NW. Several of the lots to the west have offices for uses such as plumbing and mechanical companies/contractors and storage yards. Much farther south on the west side of 12th Avenue NW is a concrete batch plant.
2. There is a determination that the proposed change would not result in adverse land use or adverse traffic impacts to surrounding properties or the vicinity.
The growth within this general area has been considerable, as noted in the above development list. The majority of growth is similar to this proposal, low density single-family developments. The access point for this proposal is designated as a primary arterial; the access for the proposal has been reviewed and approved by staff.
The design for this development includes a connection into the single-family developments to the east. With this connection it will take some traffic load off the Rock Creek Road and Trailwoods Drive intersection. The Trailwoods PUD has been successful even though the land uses across 12th Avenue NW are industrial. The one-hundred foot right-of-way along 12th Avenue NW is a benefit which helps to buffer the residential use from the industrial uses.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: This area of northwest Norman has grown in recent years. Zoning and land use changes, as well as roadway expansions and sanitary sewer improvements, have made way for this growth. Staff supports the request to amend the NORMAN 2025 Land Use and Transportation Plan from Industrial Designation to Low Density Residential Designation and from Future Urban Service Area (FUSA) to Current Urban Service Area (CUSA). Staff recommends approval of Resolution No. R-1415-28. Planning Commission, at their meeting of October 9, 2014, recommended adoption of this resolution by a vote of 9-0.