Edmond works on new city plan
EDMOND — Contending with population gains and business expansion, officials here are smoothing out a map for the city’s future.
As the city inches closer to the 100,000 mark in population, leaders hope the Edmond Plan 2018, a comprehensive guide to long-term growth which has been approved by the Planning Commission and is headed to the City Council for adoption, will clarify the development process as well as balance neighborhood preservation and modern commerce.
“We have the usual challenges every city has in meeting the needs of a growing community,” said Randy Entz, director of planning and zoning. “What is unique in Edmond is the growth out east and the way that interferes with the rural part of Edmond.”
The Interstate 35 corridor is a hot spot for economic growth, and stands among State Highway 66, downtown and a host of areas for which city officials believe the Edmond Plan 2018 will provide clearer and more flexible guidance on future projects.
The plan consolidates neighborhoods, land use areas and development alternatives into 21 categories, and shows how open space, building types and transportation infrastructure define those spaces.
For example, planning officials say, midcentury neighborhoods near downtown have dealt with offices wedging themselves into their areas. The neighborhoods, which are between 30 and 50 years old, have seen an increase in modifications, which include converting garages to living space, dividing lots and adding second units to properties.
To develop wisely, officials expect the updated plan to capture the nuances of Edmond neighborhoods. It’s a chief concern for neighborhood advocates who say the plan’s categories may be defined too broadly.
“Not all of these neighborhoods are similar enough to be lumped into the same category,” said Lydia Lee, a director for the nonprofit Edmond Neighborhood Alliance. “A category they call ‘suburban infill,’ maybe it's ripe for commercial or office development or higher density. And they’ve put those areas right in the middle of some established neighborhoods. That’s a threat to those neighborhoods, for their future.”
Lee suggested that a committee of neighborhood advocates be appointed to more closely examine development issues.
“It’s very difficult to look at these high-level concerns at a public hearing,” she said. “It deserves more than simply a rubber stamp.”
No regulatory power
Entz said the plan doesn’t have regulatory power, and just because a proposal fits plan designations, that doesn’t mean it will get approved.
“It's the exact same safeguards as they are today,” Entz said. “Zoning tells you what you can do with a piece of property. The plan tells you how you can do it. The plan tries to preserve the character of the area.”
Still, as developers seek to plant their flags in the city, the council routinely votes on a flurry of emergency plan amendments. Currently, one out of three zoning applications needs a plan amendment.
It’s a burden that officials expect to be alleviated under Edmond Plan 2018. Officials want homeowners and developers to know that they can expect going forward.
“It will provide more flexibility for how we respond,” Mayor Charles Lamb said.
“We need to be focused on the zoning itself and the general project. We have a very open process. Whenever new projects are proposed, generally we have community connection meetings for the public to be fully aware of what is being proposed. We take pains to do it in the open. It doesn't always make everyone happy with the outcome, but growth and change are a given in a community with our dynamic.”
On Monday, the City Council will discuss the Edmond Plan 2018 categories and map. The council meets at 5:30 p.m., 20 S Littler Ave.