Regular Meeting
The Norman City Council postponed a vote for redistricting on Porter Avenue for office development, approved designating film and television productions as special events and approved a preliminary plat for an addition to the Hallbrooke neighborhood at its regular meeting on Tuesday.
Hallbrooke addition
Council unanimously approved an addition to the Hallbrooke neighborhood in Norman.
The addition includes the construction of 75 single-family residential lots on the south side of Rock Creek Road and west of 24th Avenue NE, according to a staff report.
Film permits and events
Council unanimously approved labeling film and television productions in Norman as special events.
Film permits and fees are required for the special event designation, according to a staff report. Street closures for limited times are also allowed.
At a February special meeting, VisitNorman requested a film friendly certification for the city. Sarah Kaplan, chief business and community relations officer, said filmmakers would request special event permits through CityView, Norman’s online permitting services portal.
Porter Avenue redistricting
Council postponed voting on rezoning a portion of Porter Avenue to March 26. The rezoning would allow for an office development including two lots, two buildings and parking spaces over four acres, according to a staff report.
Ward 6 Councilmember Elizabeth Foreman recused herself from the vote, citing a conflict of interest.
Tony Blatt, principal of ADG Blatt, said there are an intended 240 parking spaces.
Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman said he is concerned because he does not know what the plans look like. He said council usually knows the plans regarding Simple Planned Unit Developments before construction.
Ward 8 Councilmember Matt Peacock made a motion to postpone the vote. He said he would like to let the proposed development make necessary tweaks.
Council voted to postpone the vote to March 26.
Special Meeting
The Norman City Council discussed updates regarding the water tower on Lindsey Street at its special meeting.
Executive session
Council adjourned into executive session to discuss the possible purchase of property at 601 S Carter Ave.
Lindsey Street water tower
Council discussed updates and potential actions for the Lindsey Street water tower presented by Ken Giannone, capital projects engineer.
Giannone said the tower’s exterior is in poor condition with visible rust. He added the underlying steel for the tower is still in good condition.
Giannone presented different alternatives to council regarding the tower’s future.
Giannone’s first alternative suggested running piping to and from the tower to send irrigation water to customers. According to the presentation, the plan would total $18 million in capital costs, with a total yearly cost of over $111,000. Giannone added the alternative would create an estimated $77,274 in total revenue.
Two other alternatives provided by Giannone include rehabilitating the tower for potable water storage and demolishing the tower. Rehabilitation would cost around $8 million, while demolition would cost $4.8 million, according to the presentation.
Giannone said a fourth alternative includes repainting the tower and adding OU logos. He said the logos would be paid for by OU, while repainting would require the city’s funding.
