2/21/2020 To: Nancy Lynn Roberts Acting Executive Director Tulsa Development Authority I am writing this letter as a concerned member of the Village at Central Park community. It has come to our attention that the Tulsa Property Group (TPG) is making plans for the development of ten vacant lots in the Village located on 8th Street, west of Peoria. As a community, we have concerns about having additional apartments constructed in the heart of the Village and the parking problems that will ensue. I would like to recommend the following actions by the TDA regarding any further building project in the Village:

(1) Require that any construction on the ten vacant lots be limited to condominiums or townhouses consistent with the original plan of the Village.

(2) Limit the number of units built to the number of garages available so that each unit has access to at least one one-car garage.

(3) Limit the height of any buildings constructed to a mix of two- and three-story heights rather than all three-story to better blend in with the existing homes on 8th Street and the rest of the Village.

To understand the reasoning behind these recommendations, a bit of history is required. Construction in the Village began in October 2000, and the first home was occupied in the summer of 2001. The Village Builders designed and built high-quality homes in an urban neighborhood context (http://www.thevillagebuilders.com). The desire was to integrate housing, workplace, shopping and recreation into a compact, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. Those who bought those homes were not only buying a place to live. They were buying the idea of a community of townhouses and condominiums near the heart of downtown Tulsa. Originally, 47 townhomes and condominiums were constructed. In 2009-2010, an additional 5 townhomes were built. Townhouses and condominiums were planned for the remaining 36 lots but as a result of the 2008 recession and subsequent downturn in the housing market, the Village suffered a hiatus. It was not until the last few years that construction began again in the Village with three new townhomes and seven condominiums to make a total of 62 units, most of which are owner occupied.

When the seven new condominiums were built in 2016-2018, the Village residents were well aware of what was happening because the construction of additional condominiums required a change in our Covenants that needed to be approved by the homeowners. The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) of the Village I Owners Association (VIOA) provided guidance for the construction. In contrast, when the Tulsa Property Group purchased 11 lots on the east side of the Village, none of the parties involved informed the residents until after the TDA had approved the project (https://www.villageflatstulsa.com). Because the TPG was assigned “Developer” status, under our Covenants they are not subject to any restrictions that might be made by the VIOA. In addition, the Form-Based Code that governs the Village emphasizes the outside design of any buildings but places little or no restriction on what is on the inside. It also has no requirements for parking for buildings. The net result of the Developer status of the TPG and the Form-Based Code is that TPG can build anything it wants on its property without consulting with or abiding by the wishes of the adjacent property owners. The TPG has made an attempt to design buildings that fit in with the Village. (See Figure 1.) While it could have built up to four stories under Form-Based Code, it has limited itself to three stories for the two main buildings and two stories on the north building by the park. The buildings are brick in a variety of colors and there are balconies and awnings similar to other buildings in the Village. Different sections of the buildings are set back from the street by different amounts and there are multiple entrances to the buildings. TPG is putting in extensive landscaping. Never the less, the construction of 54 apartment units has raised concerns among the homeowners primarily because it will cause a drastic increase in on-street parking. All of the townhomes and condominiums have two-car garages with the exception of four of the new condos that have one-car garages. There is seldom a need for residents to use on-street parking except for visitors and service trucks. More importantly, there is little to impede emergency vehicles such as ambulances or fire trucks. (See Figure 2.) On the other hand, for the 54 apartments there are only 26 one-car garages. This means that over half of the residents will not have access to a garage and will be parking on the street, primarily on Owasso Avenue and 8th Street. If apartments are built on 8th Street in the now vacant lots, this will further increase the parking on 8th and add to parking on Norfolk Avenue. If the number of units is similar to the existing structures then easily 40 apartments could be built with no more than 18 or 19 one-car garages. As with the existing apartments, more than half the residents would not have access to a garage.

In the current apartments, the majority of the units are studio or one-bedroom with a few two-bedroom apartments. While some residents may rely on ride-sharing or public transportation, most will have at least one car. Constructing more large two- or three-bedroom apartments on the vacant lots will not necessarily reduce the number of cars added to the neighborhood since the renters of larger units are more likely to have more than one car. I have been informed by TPG that some parking may be available in the lot to the east of the Village wall. Also, the American Legion plans to lease parking spaces. While the American Legion lot is relatively close to the potential 8th Street apartments, the lot east of the wall is less likely to be used by those apartment dwellers than the on-street parking. There are only two ways into and out of the Village: 8th Street and 7th Street through the parking lot east of the Village wall and then through a Centennial Park parking lot. An examination of a plat of the streets in the Village shows a 60-foot right-of-way for 8th Street and a 50-foot right-of-way for both Norfolk Ave. and Owasso Ave. The actual streets are much narrower. Norfolk, Owasso, and 8th are about 30.3 feet wide. (See Figure 3.) If there are two 7-foot parking lanes, there is only 16 feet left for two lanes of traffic. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, “Lane widths of 10 feet are appropriate in urban areas and have a positive impact on a street’s safety without impacting traffic operations.” The organization also recommends parking lanes of 7-9 feet. (https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/street-design-elements/lane-width/) Likewise, the form-based code adopted by Tulsa (MPD-FBC-1), while seeking to maximize on-street parking, illustrates neighborhood streets as 36-foot wide with two 7-foot parking lanes and two 11-foot traffic lanes (Figure 4). Madison Place is only 26.4 feet wide and is designated a fire lane and has no parking signs. The public alleys are about 22 feet. Some segments are also designated fire lanes. Originally 8th Street only had parking on the north side. This allowed for 2-way traffic on the main street leading into and out of the Village and easy access for emergency vehicles. Now however, parking is allowed on both sides of the street. Similarly, parking is allowed on both sides of Norfolk and Owasso. When both sides of the street are fully occupied, it is difficult for more than one vehicle to pass between the parked cars at the same time (Figure 5). Currently this does not happen often, but once the apartments are fully occupied, it will be an everyday occurrence.

It is true that in general on-street parking tends to slow traffic in a neighborhood. But the Village is not a pass-through neighborhood since we back up to the IDL. People driving in the Village are either coming to or leaving a destination within the neighborhood. There are disadvantages to on-street parking for both the homeowners and the apartment dwellers. For the homeowners there will be less parking available for visitors or service trucks. In an emergency access by ambulances or fire trucks may be hindered. These factors will make the townhomes and condominiums less attractive to buyers thus impacting property values. For the apartment dwellers finding a convenient parking space on the street will be a gamble. Simple tasks like bringing in the groceries will be more difficult, particularly in bad weather. Also, city ordinance prohibits leaving a vehicle on the street in the same spot for more than 24 hours. An apartment renter parking a car on the street and leaving for a 2-week vacation runs the risk of having the vehicle towed away. In addition to the problems created by an additional increase of on-street parking by constructing apartments on the vacant lots, there is a problem of the buildings blending in with the neighborhood. The TPG as mentioned above has made an attempt to make its buildings fit the Village. But the existing apartment building on 8th Street looks like what it is – an apartment building. The existing homes on 8th Street are a mixture of styles, both traditional and more modern. (See Figures 6 and 7.) But they are obviously individual homes. There are two 3-story homes, but the remaining eight are only 2-story, some with roof access. In order to blend in, any additional buildings on 8th Street can vary in style but should look like townhomes and have at most a mixture of elevations rather than all being 3-story. In conclusion, it is obvious that the TDA would like to have the Village completed as would the residents. However, we would like it to be completed in a way that does not create additional parking problems and in a manner consistent with the original plan. As property owners, we have invested our time, energy, and money to make the Village our home. We would like any further units constructed to be either townhomes or condominiums that could be rented if necessary but preferably sold to individuals. Nantelle P. Kemp 738 S Norfolk Ave Tulsa, OK 74120 918-521-3436 npkemp@cox.net

Figure 1: Village Flat building on 8th Street

Figure 2: Norfolk Avenue with typical on-street parking

Figure 5: Driving on 8th Street

Figure 6: Traditional townhomes on 8th Street – Two and three story homes.

Figure 7: Modern townhomes on 8th Street – Two stories with roof access

On Feb 28, 2020, at 5:05 PM, Jamie Jamieson <jamiejamieson@mac.com> wrote:

Dear Ms. Roberts, I’ve only very recently become aware of the correspondence relating to our sale of lots to VEP II, LLC, and the disquiet expressed by a close neighbor at the Village at Central Park. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the March 5 meeting as I’m out of town attending to family matters, so I’m putting down a few thoughts for your and the board’s consideration ahead of the meeting. I realize the sale to VEP II, LLC has already and appropriately been approved by the Board, and that the agenda item provides a courtesy forum to hear individual’s concerns. The Village has been a pioneering development since its inception in 2000, when it was among the very first developments of good-quality homes in downtown Tulsa for decades. It swiftly became a catalyst for subsequent downtown development. It is now a pioneer in a new way.

Leasing

We turned our attention to the possibility of leased homes (which are specifically permitted by our contract with the TDA and by our covenants) to meet rising demand among millennials in particular and seniors for smaller, more affordable, leased homes. Our own smallest, owner-occupied floorplan at 1,400sf has always been by far the most popular of our range of around ten floorplans (which go up to 3,200sf). I understand that the new flats will be less than 1400sf, which opens up the residential options considerably. We are not experts in the leased home market. So after a couple of false starts we were pleased when we met Tulsa Property Group (TPG), a company that also fully understands the walkable, urban neighborhood we have worked to achieve.

The Form-based code (FBC)

TPG agreed to conform to the detailed architectural approach of the existing village fabric, which is now governed by a ‘form’-based code, in place since 2011. Such a Code was recommended both by the 1999 Urban Infill Task Force, and by the 2006 report of the 6th St. Infill Task Force, in which I participated for six years. It was subsequently developed and adopted by the City of Tulsa in 2011.

The village’s design itself pre-dates the FBC by a decade, and provided a template for the code’s development. The code was developed by the City of Tulsa with a committee of Pearl District volunteers that included several residents of the Village at Central Park. The village was the first FBC development in Oklahoma. The FBC replaced the original PUD, which was vacated by the City. The FBC is ideal for its urban environment. It enables the kind of compact, walkable living that village residents value. The FBC has different emphases from conventional zoning categories, and it requires many things of a developer in regard to a building’s relation to the public realm. It is not a developer free-for-all as has been implied.

Design

An objection has been made to the scale of 3-story buildings. Our original development plan included twenty, 3-story homes (of which we built only three) so this is not a new prospect. 3-story buildings are a good fit for an urban environment, making good use of scarce, urban land and they work well aesthetically, as can be seen in every mature US city. The Village is not alone in this respect. The new, 3-story, ‘flat’ approach has helped to reinforce the urban character that we have always promoted for the Village. 8th St is a particularly good place for taller buildings, being the principal thoroughfare addressing the village. Two of the homes we built on 8th St. are 3-story. They act as a kind of protective buffer for the development within. The exterior design of the newly-built flats is important, in that they blend in very harmoniously with the original buildings. So it isn’t obvious which buildings are owned and which are leased. This is important for owners and tenants alike, and both are thus treated with equal dignity. To my knowledge this seamless integration of owned and leased homes is another important ‘first’ for Tulsa; and I think this may also be why it causes some initial anxiety among owners. We and TPG have designed with this in mind.

City Planning

In terms of conforming to the City’s requirements I am sure that TPG’s new development, whatever detailed form it may take, will conform to

the terms and spirit of the contract between TDA and ourselves of 2000, and to the form-based code. The duly executed partial assignment and TDA/VEP contract testify to this. It will also conform to every relevant aspect of the City’s urban renewal plan and the comprehensive plan. Further it will conform to the vision and plan for the Pearl District neighborhood itself, in which I was an active participant.

The Market and the Economy

More homes for a more diverse mix of residents provide more customers for more businesses in the Pearl District and in downtown. Owners and lessees at the village will be important contributors to the viability of neighborhood businesses in a city where pedestrian traffic is generally very limited. A well-designed, attractive and lively pedestrian realm is critical to success for urban retailers. Leasing enables a more diverse, urban community, catering for more than just baby-boomers. Affordable homes generally and for downtown in particular are an urgent strategic priority for the City of Tulsa. It should be noted that the proprietors of at least one Pearl business are entrepreneurial Village owners looking forward to the new flats coming on-stream.

Parking

This is the biggest shibboleth of them all. Candidly, in my view there is no parking problem. First, almost every home owner has a 2-car garage. And public parking is designated on every street within the village. There are over eighty, on-street parking spots on 8th street, 7th street, Owasso & Norfolk inside or bordering the Village. 8th St. was recently opened up to parking on both sides too, which added an estimated additional twenty-five spaces. There are many more on-street, parking spaces scattered within a 3-minute stroll of the Village. It is now also possible to rent off-street parking at the American Legion opposite the village.

Village owners - which includes my wife and I - must recognize that this is an urban environment, not a suburban one in which cars are rarely parked on the street. Emergency Access

It is argued that emergency access would be hindered by the existence of more cars parked in the vicinity. In fact access to the village is superior to many sub-divisions in which access to a home is often only from the front. Every village home is accessible from front and rear, and many have balconies, making access even easier. That will be true of any new, leased flats too. The village is accessed by two streets, 8th. St. and ‘7th.’ St., the latter being the access road from Peoria through the park’s parking area, which was designed to provide vehicular access to the village. In extremis, emergency vehicle access can also be gained via the parking lot of the Central Center using the Midland Valley bike trail, and even from the park itself. Indeed the entire development is porous in nature, facilitating several approaches by vehicles and on foot. Being close to the city’s core and two major hospitals makes it safer too, enabling a more rapid response from all nearby emergency services. As to street widths and turning radii, these were of course the subject of scrutiny and approval by the City’s engineers and Fire Marshall at the site design phase of the village.

Role of the home owners’ association (VIOA)

The VIOA has no authority over design development. The VIOA’s principal area of responsibility is to manage the common areas, i.e. the landscaping. Its board can administer enforcement of design standards in relation to existing buildings. The covenants specify that such standards do not apply to the developer, and that the VIOA cannot establish design guidelines without the written permission of the developer, which has not been given. Like many developers, I imagine, we were keen to protect our architectural approach as conceived, and in this we believe we have been very successful. Our approach is now codified into the FBC. This is not to say that we do not continuously listen to and consider our neighbors views, which TPG has also gone out of its way to do.

In Conclusion…

We have worked strenuously over a prolonged period, despite obstacles of various kinds, to deliver what we intended - that is, a diverse, viable, urban neighborhood. We are pleased to have eventually found TPG, whom we know will provide excellent homes in a neighborhood whose only failing is that it has hitherto lacked homes that can be afforded by young individuals and families, seniors and those not yet on the property-owning ladder. I know there is a demand for these, because I receive enquiring phone calls every week. I am certain that when new buildings are in place, complete with attractive landscaping, both current and future residents will appreciate and enjoy them. TPG has already proven itself a professional and courteous neighbor, sensitive to the neighborhood context. It would be very difficult to find another developer with the same degree of responsiveness. We believe that the TDA has made the right decision in endorsing this sale, and we look forward very soon to seeing an even greater and broader choice of much-needed homes in Tulsa’s core.

Respectfully,

Jamie Jamieson

Manager

The Village At Central Park, LLC

3/1/2020

To: Nancy Lynn RobertsActing Executive DirectorTulsa Development Authority

I am writing this letter as a town house owner at the Village at Central Park. I believe there are plans afoot by Tulsa Property Group (TPG) to develop the ten remaining vacant lots at the Village on 8th Street. I have concerns about the lack of parking lots for future renters if Tulsa Property Group decides to build additional apartments. As it stands now, there are 54 apartments being close to completion on Owasso between 8th and 7th Street. There aren’t going be enough parking garages to accommodate all the future residents’ vehicles and adding more apartments at the ten lots on 8th St will exacerbate the shortage. Although it might appear that 8th Street can accommodate parked cars on both sides of the street, it will narrow the access in the center lane for two way traffic. Moreover, it might also impede the ability of firetrucks to turn into Norfolk St and Owasso St, if there are parked cars on both sides of 8th, Owasso and Norfolk Streets.

I am asking if the TDA will consider the following recommendations before approving the sale of the lots.

(1) Require that any construction on the ten vacant lots be limited to condominiums or townhouses consistent with the original plan of the Village, as these lots sit right in the heart of the village between 2 blocks of town houses.

(2) Limit the number of units built to the number of garages available so that each unit has access to at least one one-car garage.

(3) Limit the height of any buildings constructed to a mix of two- and three-story heights rather than all three-story to better blend in with the existing homes on 8th Street and the rest of the Village.

Thank you for your consideration.

Leslie Chan726 S Owasso AveTulsa, OK 741207015419288lescyh@gmail.com