OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Norman Planning Commission Meeting - March 12, 2026

Public Meetings & Live-Streams — Thursday, March 12, 2026
BodyNorman, Oklahoma
SessionPublic Meetings & Live-Streams
DateThursday, March 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:46:49

Transcript — Verbatim
5:18

Okay, at 5 30 p.m., I'm gonna call the meeting to order.

5:21

If I could please have a roll call.

5:24

Commissioner Brewer.

5:26

Here.

5:27

Commissioner McDaniel?

5:29

Here.

5:29

Commissioner McCowan.

5:31

Commissioner Jablonski?

5:33

Here.

5:33

Commissioner Byrd.

5:34

Here.

5:35

Commissioner McClure?

5:36

Here.

5:37

Commissioner Griffith.

5:39

Commissioner Kindle?

5:40

Here.

5:41

Commissioner Parker.

5:42

Here.

5:42

We have a quorum.

5:43

Starting with our consent docket, item number one, consideration of approval, acceptance, rejection amendment, and/or postponement of the minutes as follows.

5:51

Planning commission meeting minutes of February 12th, 2026.

5:54

Does any member of the commission wish to remove any item from the consent docket?

5:59

Any member of the audience wish to remove any item from the consent docket?

6:03

Seeing none, I would take a motion.

6:06

Move to approve.

6:08

Second.

6:09

And a vote.

6:12

You may vote.

6:28

Hi.

6:29

Good evening.

6:29

Kelly Abel with the planning department.

6:34

Okay.

6:34

Then we have a rezoning from R1 single family dwelling district to SPUD, simple planned unit development.

6:46

There is kind of an overview of everything on the map with the subject tract.

6:54

The character area is core neighborhood.

7:01

The aim land use is mixed use.

7:22

No expansion of the building is planned, and all activity will take place within the existing building footprint.

7:37

As you can see, it does have two driveways.

7:39

There's one on the west and one on the east.

7:55

This is facing east.

8:51

Ben LaCourse is here with the applicant to review what they sent in for a presentation.

8:58

Do you guys have any questions?

9:02

Thank you.

9:14

Seeing none, I would take the applicant presentation.

9:16

Thank you.

9:23

Ben LaCourse on behalf of the applicant.

9:25

Ken and Sarah Hall.

9:27

Kelly did a great job with the overview, so I'll try to be as brief as possible.

9:32

Like she said, we are at 521 East Frank Street.

9:37

Just to the east is North Finley Avenue and to the west is I believe North Ponka Avenue.

9:45

Zoning currently R1 single family.

9:48

We are proposing to rezone to a SPUD.

9:51

Like Kelly said, future land use is mixed use.

10:02

Site plan and overview, an overview.

10:04

Rezoning to a spUD.

10:06

There'll be no change to the current building, so we're not knocking anything down, not building anything.

10:10

Everything's gonna be happening within those current buildings.

10:13

We'd like to retain R1 uses throughout the property while adding I know it says low limited impact commercial on the ground floor.

10:22

I believe that it's but actually the specific language on this bud is low impact personal service uses and specifically names uh tattoo studio by uh way of an example.

10:34

Um just a summary of the quest.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████64%
Procedural███████10%
Public Engagement███████10%
Transportation Safety████5%
Affordable Housing████5%
Public Safety██3%
Engineering And Infrastructure█2%
Parks and Recreation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Norman Planning Commission Meeting - March 12, 2026

The Norman Planning Commission met on March 12, 2026, at 5:30 PM, with Commissioner Byrd presiding. All members were present except Commissioner McCowan, Commissioner Griffith, and Commissioner McClure. A quorum was established. The commission voted on several zoning and land use items, including a rezoning to allow a tattoo studio, a large multifamily development, updates to the AIM Norman plan, and three postponement requests.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 1: Minutes of the February 12, 2026, Planning Commission meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote.

Rezoning to SPUD at 521 East Frank Street (Item 2)

  • Proposal: Rezone from R1 (single-family) to SPUD (simple planned unit development) for a tattoo studio. No building expansion; all activity within existing footprint. Future land use is mixed use; character area is core neighborhood.
  • Applicant: Ben LaCourse on behalf of Ken and Sarah Hall. A late protest was filed, but staff noted no formal protest initially.
  • Outcome: Approved 7-0.

Bob Moore Farms North PUD - Rezoning, Preliminary Plat, and Right-of-Way Vacation (Items 3, 4, 5)

  • Proposal: Three related items for a 55.7-acre site south of West Main Street and east of 36th Avenue SW, Ward 3. The applicant (Libby Smith for Bob Moore Farms North LLC) sought to rezone from PUD to PUD with changes: remove commercial uses, add 804 multifamily units (444 in phase 1, 360 in phase 2), maximum height 4 stories, gated entrances, 43% green space, and closure of a portion of Norman Center Court.
  • Staff Presentation: Logan Gray explained the site, previously approved in 2024 with commercial. Proposed changes increase density from 642 to 804 units. Future land use: Urban Living Center, Urban High, Mixed Use. A protest from the library (3.9% of notification area) was addressed by revising the site plan to eliminate a shared driveway with the library parcel.
  • Public Comments:
    • Rebecca Patton (Pioneer Library System) requested the revised site plan (dated March 6, 2026) be officially referenced. She expressed relief that the shared driveway was removed but noted proximity (~30 feet) may still cause traffic issues.
    • Sean Holtman (Pioneer Library System Safety Coordinator) detailed increased traffic from library operations (26 daily book return users, 70 staff, 9 delivery vehicles, fleet vehicles). Expressed concern about safety with new residential traffic near the library's primary exit.
    • Brett Bradley (neighboring property owner) opposed the right-of-way closure and rezoning.
    • Cheryl Tatum (3217 Riverwalk) opposed the closure of Willow Bend Road (clarified by commission not being closed), expressed concerns about building height (4 stories) and potential future increases, and wanted no further encroachment.
  • Commission Discussion: Commissioner Byrd clarified that the legal description includes Willow Bend but the street is not being closed; only the cul-de-sac near the library is part of the vacation. Commissioners supported the density increase (804 units) as addressing housing needs, noted the benefits of gated access to reduce cut-through traffic, and highlighted the library as an off-site amenity. A motion was made to approve with the caveat that the driveway shall not be a shared drive with the Pioneer Library System property.
  • Outcome: Approved 7-0.

AIM Norman Map Updates (Item 6)

  • Proposal: Resolution R-2526-113 to update 14 maps in the AIM Norman comprehensive plan to reflect the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's proposed alignment (East-West and North-South turnpikes) as announced on September 23, 2025, and updated in December 2025.
  • Staff: Laura Hoggett presented. The updates include character area, future land use, transportation, and priority maps with a disclaimer that they are proposed, not final.
  • Commission Discussion: Concerns about OTA alignment still changing (30% design not final). Commissioner Parker opposed, preferring to wait for final alignment. A caveat date on maps was suggested. Director noted the cost is limited to staff time.
  • Outcome: Approved 6-1 (Commissioner Parker voting against). Motion: Move to approve.

Urban Reserve Lot Size Change and Subdivision Regulations (Items 7 & 8)

  • Item 7: Resolution R-2526-112 to amend the AIM Norman plan to reduce the minimum lot size in the Urban Reserve land use from 30 acres to 10 acres, and add cluster development language allowing lots down to 2 acres with 65% open space preservation.
  • Item 8: Ordinance 0-2526-47 to amend Chapter 30 (subdivisions) to change the minimum lot size for rural certificates of survey from 30 acres to 10 acres, aligning with Item 7.
  • Staff: Laura Hoggett explained the 30-acre requirement was adopted in June 2025 after extensive community input to curb sprawl and encourage infill. Council requested a return to 10 acres due to constituent concerns (e.g., families wanting to split land). Language also adds cluster development (PUD option) for flexibility.
  • Commission Discussion: Commissioner Jablonski opposed, arguing reducing the minimum would double density, encourage sprawl, and undercut infill goals. Commissioner Kindle supported 10 acres as more common in state land division and affordable for residents seeking rural living. Commissioner Parker noted the 30-acre requirement affected few parcels; cluster development has been used only thrice since 1999. The 10-acre change adds at most a few more dwellings per 30 acres (e.g., 4 primary + 4 ADUs).
  • Outcome: Item 7 passed 5-2 (Commissioners Jablonski and Kindle voting against). Item 8 passed 6-1 (Commissioner Jablonski voting against). Motions: Move to approve.

Postponement Requests (Items 9, 10, 11)

  • Item 9: Rezoning at 420 East Lindsay Street (Ward 7) - postponed to April 9, 2026. Approved 7-0.
  • Item 10: Rezoning at 1130 Rambling Oaks Drive (Ward 3) - postponed to April 9, 2026. Approved 7-0.
  • Item 11: Rezoning at 36th Avenue NE and East Alameda Street (Ward 6) - postponed to April 9, 2026. Approved 7-0.

Miscellaneous Discussion

  • Staff announced receipt of a Pro Housing Grant (action plan approved by HUD in December 2025); contract nearly finalized; expected on City Council agenda March 24, 2026. The commission will be more involved in zoning and subregs update and parking study.
  • Commissioner Parker raised concerns about the proposed Franklin Road bridge across Lake Thunderbird on the AIM transportation map (not part of the current OTA item). Discussion about safety (wildfires, floods) versus environmental impact. No action taken.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent minutes approved.
  • Rezoning to SPUD for tattoo studio approved (7-0).
  • Bob Moore Farms North PUD with 804 units, gated access, no shared driveway with library, and right-of-way vacation approved (7-0).
  • AIM Norman map updates showing OTA turnpike alignment approved (6-1).
  • Urban Reserve minimum lot size reduced from 30 to 10 acres (5-2), and subdivision regulations updated accordingly (6-1).
  • Three postponement requests approved to April 9, 2026 (all 7-0).

Meeting Transcript

Okay, at 5 30 p.m., I'm gonna call the meeting to order. If I could please have a roll call. Commissioner Brewer. Here. Commissioner McDaniel? Here. Commissioner McCowan. Commissioner Jablonski? Here. Commissioner Byrd. Here. Commissioner McClure? Here. Commissioner Griffith. Commissioner Kindle? Here. Commissioner Parker. Here. We have a quorum. Starting with our consent docket, item number one, consideration of approval, acceptance, rejection amendment, and/or postponement of the minutes as follows. Planning commission meeting minutes of February 12th, 2026. Does any member of the commission wish to remove any item from the consent docket? Any member of the audience wish to remove any item from the consent docket? Seeing none, I would take a motion. Move to approve. Second. And a vote. You may vote. Hi. Good evening. Kelly Abel with the planning department. Okay. Then we have a rezoning from R1 single family dwelling district to SPUD, simple planned unit development. There is kind of an overview of everything on the map with the subject tract. The character area is core neighborhood. The aim land use is mixed use. No expansion of the building is planned, and all activity will take place within the existing building footprint. As you can see, it does have two driveways. There's one on the west and one on the east. This is facing east. Ben LaCourse is here with the applicant to review what they sent in for a presentation. Do you guys have any questions? Thank you. Seeing none, I would take the applicant presentation. Thank you. Ben LaCourse on behalf of the applicant. Ken and Sarah Hall. Kelly did a great job with the overview, so I'll try to be as brief as possible. Like she said, we are at 521 East Frank Street. Just to the east is North Finley Avenue and to the west is I believe North Ponka Avenue.

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