Tulsa City Council Meeting - March 11, 2026

The Tulsa City Council held its regular meeting at 5 PM on March 11, 2026. The meeting included recognition of city employees for years of service, a proclamation for National Safe Place Week, a public hearing on the second amended downtown area economic development project plan, and a major rezoning application for the Fair Oaks Ranch area (MPD6) covering 6,200 acres. After extensive discussion and an amendment, the council approved the MPD6 rezoning and other agenda items.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1A/B: Minutes of the regular meetings held at 4 PM and 5 PM on February 11, 2026, were approved unanimously.
• Item 2A-G: Appointments and reappointments to various commissions were approved unanimously: Kayla Lee (Tulsa Preservation Commission), Jackie DuPont (Tulsa Women's Commission), Majesta Pearson (Tulsa Arts Commission), Corey Taylor (Tulsa Arts Commission), Kate Neary (Tulsa Women's Commission), Cheryl Kloenauer (Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission), and Terrell Siegfried (Tulsa Area Economic Opportunity).
• Item 4B-K: Mayor's items not read aloud were approved with an emergency clause on 4B.
• Item 7A: Ordinance approving the second amended downtown area economic development project plan was approved unanimously.
• Item 8B: Travel authorization for Councillor Hall Harper to attend a DC fly-in (April 14-16, 2026) at a cost of $3,400 was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 3 – Second Amended Downtown Area Economic Development Project Plan: Eight speakers testified, with the majority expressing support:

  • Reverend David Wiggs (Boston Avenue United Methodist Church) expressed full support, noting the project would spur development and make the downtown more livable, strengthen the economy, improve public safety, and increase amenities.
  • Jim Stevens (commercial real estate professional) urged approval, calling it the best-organized project he had seen, highlighting 115 apartments and 125 hotel rooms.
  • Andrew Mungle (on behalf of Paul Corey, Ambassador Hotel) strongly supported the plan, stating it would help attract larger conventions and corporate meetings, and that similar past projects had benefited from public incentives now unavailable.
  • Jeffrey Tannenhouse (downtown resident, owner of Tulsa Tours) supported the transformation of the Philcade building, noting tourism is booming but downtown often feels dead.
  • James Alexander expressed concerns that downtown is dead and urged redevelopment of Greenwood instead; Bernice Alexander passed on speaking.
  • John Gaberino (former coffee shop owner in the Philcade) supported the TIFF, noting that downtown needs to become an entertainment district and that restoring historic buildings requires public support.
  • Luke Lefesti (native Tulsan, former New York resident) expressed strong support, comparing the project to visionary civic projects like the Gathering Place and BOK Center.
  • Susan Nichols (young local developer) supported the project, emphasizing the need to preserve historic buildings and mix local and national developers.

• Item 5A – MPD6 Rezoning (Fair Oaks Ranch): Five speakers, including the applicant and concerned residents:

  • Lou Reynolds (representing the applicant) presented the comprehensive plan, detailing 23,938 dwelling units (versus 11,500 under conventional suburban standards), 1,200 acres of open space, 11 street types, and design standards for walkability. He noted the MPD is a 30-50 year plan and that the project would bring employment and housing affordability.
  • Danielle Krachowski (resident near the area) expressed concerns about rezoning immediately before data center regulations are finalized, citing a 250-foot buffer as insufficient and questioning the lack of environmental impact data.
  • Buchanan Dowling (electrical engineer, resident of Whiskey Ridge) requested a moratorium on data center expansion in the MPD due to noise, generator impacts, and environmental concerns. He noted that the comprehensive plan directs industrial uses away from neighborhoods.
  • Koealani Balu (speaker) argued the application is incomplete, lacking traffic impact analysis, utility demands, environmental assessments, compatibility standards, and a binding site plan. He stated that adding uses after the public hearing violates due process.
  • Cheyenne Morgan highlighted unremediated mines on the land and called for environmental studies before rezoning.

Discussion Items

• Employee Recognition: The council recognized employees with 35, 30, and 20 years of service from Police, Water & Sewer, Finance, and Asset Management departments. Acknowledged absent employees and thanked all for their contributions, especially those involved in recent storm cleanup.
• Proclamation for National Safe Place Week: Councillor Hall Harper read the proclamation designating March 15-21, 2026 as National Safe Place Week in Tulsa, recognizing the program's operation since 1991 and partners including QuikTrip, libraries, and EMSA.
• Item 5A – MPD6 Detailed Discussion:
  • Councillor Dutton asked whether data centers could be removed from the plan; the applicant confirmed they could but were not proposing removal, and expressed willingness to add future restrictions.
  • Councillor Bellis questioned the 250-foot setback for data centers, noting noise impacts can extend much further; the planning office acknowledged best practices vary and that no specific noise standards exist in the code. The planning office noted that 2,400 acres of land are zoned for business/industrial and regional centers, potentially allowing up to six data center sites (based on the 400-acre Project Anthem).
  • Councillor Dickert-Wright raised concerns about fiscal impacts of maintaining public amenities (e.g., four-lane boulevards with trees). The planning office noted that maintenance agreements would be required during platting to ensure private upkeep.
  • Councillor Lakin asked how the plan addresses infrastructure costs; the planning office responded that mixed-use development would generate revenue to help pay for improvements.
  • The applicant confirmed that trees in public streets would be maintained by the developer under a shared maintenance agreement.
  • Councillor Bellis proposed a friendly amendment to remove the grandfather clause referencing May 13, 2026, and instead make use categories subject to future revisions to the zoning code. The applicant agreed.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1A/B: Approved unanimously.
• Item 2A-G: Approved unanimously.
• Item 3: Public hearing entered and exited without objection; the ordinance (Item 7A) was later approved unanimously.
• Item 4B-K: Approved with emergency clause on 4B (roll call vote: all present yes).
• Item 5A – MPD6 Rezoning: Approved with the friendly amendment to Section 5.3. The amendment passed 7-2 (Councillor Dutton voted no, Councillor Bellis voted no citing harm reduction but preferred stronger measures). The underlying motion to approve 5A as amended then passed (no separate roll call shown, but it was approved).
• Item 7A: Approved unanimously.
• Item 8B: Approved unanimously.
• Councillor Announcements: Councillor Archie announced upcoming events: a town hall on March 24, 2026 at Zara Regional Library (with ODOT and Code Enforcement), the grand opening of Bailes Park (inclusive park) on March 27, 2026, and a faith leader town hall on homelessness on March 31, 2026.