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RESOLUTION NO. R-1314-54: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING THE NORMAN 2025 LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN SO AS TO PLACE LOT 1, BLOCK 1, SOONER MOBILE HOME PARK, NORMAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, IN THE MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DESIGNATION AND THE COMMERCIAL DESIGNATION AND REMOVE THE SAME FROM THE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DESIGNATION AND THE COMMERCIAL DESIGNATION
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SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The applicants, Sooner Mobile Home Redevelopment, L.L.C., propose to redevelop the existing site of the Sooner Mobile Home and RV Park as a mixed-use project. Sooner Mobile Home Park has existed at this location for a long time, in fact, prior to annexation of the land into the city limits in October of 1961. The proposed uses will include a student based housing development along the east and south side of the ownership, and three commercial lots along the west and north side of the ownership. There will be amenities provided within the residential development; including a clubhouse, pool, theater room and gym area. The proposed uses for the commercial lots are two restaurants on the north portion and a grocery store with a fueling station located in the center of the development, abutting Classen Boulevard. The north side of the development is floodplain area and will remain undeveloped.
The 2025 Plan identifies two criteria that must be examined before a land use change is approved.
There has been a change in circumstances resulting from development of the properties in the general vicinity which suggest that the proposed change will not be contrary to the public interest.
In recent years there have been several multi-family/student housing developments in the vicinity of this proposed development. In addition to the residential changes in the area there have been multiple commercial developments as well.
To the north, east and south there have been three residential changes to the area in recent years.
There is a single-family development to the north of this proposal, Cedar Creek PUD. The PUD consists of a gated community with forty-nine single-family lots and a large open space buffer along the south side of the development. This buffer is between the single-family residential development and the proposal of the mixed-use development to the south.
To the east and south of this proposal are two multi-family/student based housing developments; The Cottages at Norman to the east and Crimson Park Apartments to the south.
The Cottages at Norman have 89 buildings (similar to townhouses), 174 units and a total of 644 bedrooms.
Crimson Park Apartments have 11 buildings with 268 units and a total of 792 bedrooms.
At the northwest corner of Classen Boulevard and Constitution Street there is a convenience store with fuel sales as well as a commercial strip mall continuing off to the west of the convenience store. The commercial strip mall has the capacity for six different retail/office lease spaces on-site.
At the southwest corner of Classen Boulevard and Constitution Street there is a second commercial strip mall. This strip mall has a large anchor store for video rental on the east end, as well as five additional lease spaces for other retail/office uses to the west of the building.
Directly south of this proposed PUD is a commercial strip mall with the capacity of twelve lease spaces with a restaurant as an anchor store on the south end.
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 area has been significant, as indicated in the above project list. This growth has occurred at a time or in conjunction with the roadway widening and improvements along Classen Boulevard, 12th Avenue SE and Constitution Street. In addition to the roadway improvements on all three streets in this area there have been three traffic signals installed. Traffic signals have been installed at Classen Boulevard and 12th Avenue SE, Classen Boulevard and Constitution Street and Classen Boulevard and Imhoff Road. With the roadway improvements in place, plus the proposed roadway improvements related to this project, adequate access and traffic circulation will be provided.
This development abuts the east side of Classen Boulevard and 12th Avenue SE. There will be two streets intersecting off of Classen Boulevard and 12th Avenue SE that enter the development on the north and south side of the proposed grocery store lot. The continuation of Classen Boulevard will become Classen Street, on the north side and the continuation of Constitution Street on the south side.
Sidewalks will be installed throughout this development. A new five foot sidewalk along the east side of Classen Boulevard will connect to the existing sidewalk at Cedar Creek, north of this property. In addition to the sidewalk on Classen Boulevard there will be five-foot sidewalks along the new east/west streets entering the development, Constitution Street and Classen Street. These sidewalks throughout the development and along Classen Boulevard will provide pedestrian accessibility to the north, south and west.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: This area of south Norman has grown over the last ten years. Zoning, land use and roadway expansions have made way for this growth. The current land use designation for the east side of this property is actually designated as Low Density Residential. Yet, in the early 1960’s the first long-range plan identified this eastern portion as appropriate for High Density Residential. The COMPLAN that followed in 1981 designated the area as Medium Density Residential. The NORMAN 2020 changed to High Density Residential designation for this area in 1997. Nonetheless, in 2004 the NORMAN 2025 changed the designation to Low Density Residential. Staff recommends approval of the land use designation of Commercial Designation and Medium Density Residential Designation. A portion of the western edge of this property already has Commercial Designation in place. This request places a clear demarcation of what is to be Medium Density Residential Designation and Commercial Designation. The floodplain on the north side of this development will remain undeveloped.
Staff recommends approval of Resolution NO. R-1314-54.
Planning Commission, at their meeting of November 14, 2013, unanimously recommended adoption of this resolution, 9-0.