Norman City Council approved amendments to the Bob Moore Farms North, LLC development project and held the first public hearing for the proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget during its regular meeting Tuesday.
Council approved three agenda items related to the development of the Bob Moore Farms North project. The first item rezoned the development to allow for more housing, the second closed a portion of a right-of-way due to conflicts with the development and the third revised the development’s preliminary plat.
Council also approved an update to AIM Norman maps to reflect the current routes of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s planned turnpikes.
Ward 1 Councilmember David Gandesbery expressed concern for people who live in the direct line of turnpikes. He said the updated maps would cause people stress.
“There are certain clients that I have that live out in that area that will look at this map everyday with this PTSD stress,” Gandesbery said. “There's other ways to find this information.”
Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant said they were in support of updating the maps.
“This isn't litigating whether a turnpike is allowed or not,” Grant said, “it is just for public information.”
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Council held the first public hearing for the proposed July 2026 to June 2027 budget. Projected total revenue is $301,702,050, while projected expenditures total $302,005,449, according to a presentation.
The second public hearing for the upcoming budget will be held on May 26.
10:09 p.m.
Council has adjourned the meeting.
9:42 p.m.
Council unanimously approved the agenda item allowing Norman Police Department to regulate wrecker services, with Ward 2 Councilmember Matthew Peacock absent.
9:33 p.m.
Council will now consider an agenda item that would allow NPD to regulate wrecker vehicles used to perform towing or wrecking services.
The item would require contractors providing wrecking or towing services to comply with guidelines, policies or standard operating procedures approved by the chief of police and to maintain an office and impound lot within Norman city limits, according to a staff report.
9:31 p.m.
Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman announced two agenda items related to the minimum amount of acreage needed for a rural certificate of survey had been withdrawn from the agenda.
The city previously required a minimum of 10 acres for a certificate of survey, but changed this requirement to 30 acres with the adoption of AIM Norman. The amendments would have reverted the minimum requirement back to the original 10 acres.
9:30 p.m.
Council approved the amendments 6-2 vote, with Ward 5 Councilmember Trey Kirby and Ward 1 Councilmember David Gandesbery voting against.
9:08 p.m.
Council will now consider an agenda item that would amend the AIM Norman Comprehensive Land Use Plan, updating maps to reflect the current alignment of the planned ACCESS Oklahoma turnpikes, according to a staff report.
The AIM Norman Comprehensive Land Use Plan was adopted in June and is used to plan, inform and guide future land use decisions, according to the city’s website.
Two turnpikes are slated for the Cleveland County area: the South Extension Turnpike and the Toby Keith Expressway, formerly known as the East-West Connector.
The updated AIM Norman land use maps will contain a note stating AIM Norman does not endorse or influence the development of the planned turnpikes in Norman.
9:07 p.m.
Council approved the item 7-1 with Kirby voting against.
9:06 p.m.
Council will now consider an agenda item that would revise the preliminary plat for Bob Moore Farms North.
9:06 p.m.
Council unanimously approved the agenda item closing a portion of the right-of-way on Norman Center Court.
9:05 p.m.
Council unanimously approved the ordinance amendment.
9:02 p.m.
Libby Smith said legal representation of Bob Moore Farms North and the library reached an agreement to propose an amendment to the legal description of the proposed right-of-way closure.
9:01 p.m.
Holman has resumed the meeting.
8:43 p.m.
The meeting is now in recess as the legal representatives of Bob Moore Farms North and the library work out language regarding the closure of the right-of-way.
8:36 p.m.
Council will now hear an agenda item that would close a portion of the right-of-way on Norman Center Court.
Bob Moore Farms North requested the closure due to conflicts with its proposed development, and would be required to relocate utilities within and adjacent to the right-of-way and provide easements if needed.
A new right-of-way would be dedicated with the development’s final plat, according to legal documents.
8:34 p.m.
Council approved the item 6-2, with Kirby and Gandesbery voting against Bob Moore Farms North’s request to rezone its property.
8:32 p.m.
Ward 8 Councilmember Scott Dixon requested an amendment be added to the plan regarding walkability.
“I’d like language that says, ‘Pedestrian access shall be provided to the eastern edge of the property for future pedestrian access to Ed Noble Parkway,’” Dixon said.
Council approved the amendment 7-1, with Kirby voting against.
8:12
Holman said project site plans don’t include sidewalks and asked if they would be included.
Smith said the development will include pedestrian access and the design of sidewalks isn't finalized. Smith said only the project’s vehicular access points are gated.
8:08 p.m.
Grant asked if the site plan and special planned unit development would guarantee that library access would remain and there would be no encroachment or building on the library's land if council were to pass the item.
Smith said Grant was correct.
7:46 p.m.
Rebecca Patten, attorney for Pioneer Library System, said there was a lack of prior communication with the library about the use of Norman Public Library West’s driveway.
“I don't want the library's first notice of the administrative amendment of the site plan to be jackhammers digging up the library's driveway,” Patten said.
Patten said Bob Moore Farms North failed to include language in its ordinance that recognizes it is prohibited from using library property for access to the development.
“The applicant failed to include this language in the (planned unit development) ordinance, after the planning commission meeting or in response to the library request,” Patten said. “So now we are making that request.”
Sean Reiger, lawyer for the applicant, said he doesn't understand why this additional language is needed.
“There is no issue here. I respectfully disagree with Ms. Patten. I don’t understand the issue at all as to why we are being asked to write in the PUD that we can't break the law,” Reiger said.
7:38 p.m.
Holman asked if the development would have access to Ed Noble Parkway.
“That was really one of the main selling points to me was access for and business on Ed Noble Parkway if all of these residents are able to walk to it,” Holman said.
Smith said sidewalks on the property would not be able to connect directly to Ed Noble Parkway due to an adjacent property. Smith said it would be the adjacent property owner’s responsibility to connect the sidewalks to Ed Noble Parkway.
7:29 p.m.
Council will now consider an agenda item that would amend Bob Moore Farms North's existing planned unit development.
Bob Moore Farms North requested to rezone the property into a planned unit development to develop a master planned community, according to an application packet. This revision is to allow for multi-family unit developments, according to a staff report.
The 55.56-acre property is located south of West Main Street, along the east side of 36 Avenue SW, according to the report. The development will consist of 786 multi-family residential units.
A staff report shows the multi-use development district was originally intended to include 25,000 square feet of retail space and 642 multifamily residential units. The development’s mixed-use area, which was intended to include four retail structures, would become a residential area.
In September 2024, council unanimously approved the preliminary plat for a Bob Moore Farms North proposed multi-use development district. Bob Moore Farms is a Norman-based horse breeding farm founded in 1963 by Bob Moore, a deceased Oklahoma auto dealer and entrepreneur.
7:29 p.m.
Council unanimously approved an agenda item that would rezone a house along Frank Street to allow for a tattoo parlor, with Peacock absent.
7:18 p.m.
Kirby asked if the city has looked into whether the house will have a proper disposal site for tattoo ink waste so the ink doesn't get into watersheds.
Reiger, lawyer for the applicant, said he doesn't know if specifics have been worked out, but in order for the business to be operational, all applicable codes would have to be met.
Karlinda Gravel, Ward 4, expressed concern regarding the shop’s location.
“We want to grow. We want to move forward with this, but we have some concerns, because in all of the documents, in all of the studies that the entire city of Norman has done have been striving to protect us from new business encroachment,” Gravel said.
7:11 p.m.
Council will now consider an agenda item that would rezone a house along Frank Street to allow for a tattoo parlor.
The proposal outlines rezoning 0.24 acres into a mixed-use development that includes a residential unit on the second floor and a tattoo parlor on the first floor, according to a staff report.
There are no anticipated expansions to the building, according to the report. The tattoo parlor would operate by appointment only, with one staff member, and would not have any appointments after 9 p.m.
7:10 p.m.
Council voted to close the public hearing. The next public hearing will be May 26.
7:04 p.m.
Holman asked what the leading cause of increased expenses is. City Manager Darrel Pyle said the primary reason is healthcare.
“The cost of healthcare overall is increasing at a far greater pace than other inflationary factors,” Pyle said.
6:56 p.m.
Council has opened the first public hearing to consider the proposed 2026-27 operating and capital budgets.
6:55 p.m.
Council has approved items 3-21 on the consent docket. The motion was approved unanimously.
6:48 p.m.
Pyle asked Chris Mattingly, city utilities director, about agenda item 18, an agreement with Midwest City that would allow Norman to buy $204,000 worth of surplus municipal water.
“It just shores up our water supply and makes sure we are going to be good for summer,” Mattingly said.
6:31 p.m.
Council has called its regular meeting to order.
6:03 p.m.
Council has adjourned the conference meeting.
5:13 p.m.
According to the presentation, the city's top three projected revenues include:
• General sales tax at 32.6%.
• Fees and charges at 24.1%.
• Other taxes at 12.7%.
The top three expenditures include:
• Public safety at 22.7%.
• Strategic support and criminal justice at 15.9%.
• Capital improvements at 15.3%.
The top three expenditures by department include:
• Police at 27.3%.
• Public works at 20.2%.
• Fire at 19.4%.
5 p.m.
Norman City Council is discussing general and special revenue in regards to the proposed July 2026 to June 2027 budget during its conference meeting.
The city is projecting revenues for the 2026-27 fiscal year to total $301,702,050, according to a presentation. The projected expenditures total $302,005,449.
Council will hold a public budget hearing during the regular meeting following the conference. Council plans to consider the budget for adoption in June.
This story was edited by Audrey McClour.
