Last Updated on November 8, 2023, 8:14 PM | Published: November 8, 2023
MOORE, Oklahoma — The Moore City Council met for a 34-item long meeting and approved several rezoning applications from local developers Monday.
One application was recommended for denial by the Moore Planning Commission, but the council approved it after some deliberation.
A PUD plan for property along the I-35 corridor was discussed and approved.
Later, the council approved about a dozen budgeted spending items from several departments, including new vans for public works and trash can replacements in all Moore city parks.
Disputed rezoning application
The Moore City Council often has a few rezoning applications on its agenda, but it is rare to see one that was recommended for denial by the City’s planning commission.
Located just north of NW 27th Street, between I-35 and Pole Road, the land in question is one of only a few undeveloped plots along the metro interstate.
The applicant intends to have a commercial/retail area facing I-35 along the frontage road and fill in the back of the plot with warehouses, distribution centers, and some outdoor storage.
To do so, the applicant requested that the relevant areas be rezoned to C-3 and I-1 respectively, and as a Planned Unit Development (PUD).
PUDs allow the city to be flexible with this particular use and owner while retaining the ability to change land permissions later.
Regardless, Moore’s planning commission found some problems with this plan.
First, the City would have to extend utilities and stormwater retention is required for development.
After a traffic study conducted this year, Moore staff found that Pole Road on the east side of the property would be overloaded.
This development would increase the Pole Road intersection’s projected 2028 use from 17 cars to 116 cars during peak hours. That, and some safety concerns on 27th Street resulted in the 4-3 recommendation to deny by the planning commission.
Council’s decision
The Council heard from staff about the required amenities of the PUD that seek to preserve the integrity of the I-35 corridor and prevent unsightly outdoor storage. In fact, staff retroactively recommended approval for the rezoning application so long as the applicant creates a traffic mitigation plan before final plat approval and abides by the PUD requirements.
After hearing from applicant representative David Box, the council felt confident that the rules and regulations of the PUD would allow the development to work well with the city.
Regarding the traffic mitigation plan, council members wondered who would pay for the road work necessary to keep the streets safe.
“Who is providing the cost for that mitigation,” Council member Louie Williams of Ward 3 asked.
“Typically they fall to the developer, fully upon the developer,” Planning and Development Director Elizabeth Whitman responded.
The Council eventually voted for the rezoning application unanimously. Final Plat approval and eventual construction is likely years away.
Budgetary responsibilities
Monday’s meeting took care of some end-of-the-year budgeted purchases for various departments around the city.
Moore Police Department will begin to pursue some new interceptor vehicles for delivery as late as 2025 due to industry backups, and the Public Works Department requested a few trucks and cabs to keep the city up and running.
Here are some of the big-ticket items from the meeting:
- Purchase of six (6) Ford Police Interceptor Utility AWD Sport Utility Vehicles $286,944 Police.
- Purchase of two (2) 2024 Ford Explorer 4 x 4 Base Model Sport Utility Vehicles $85,956 Police.
- Purchase of fifteen Battery Backup Systems for traffic signals from Paradigm Traffic Systems $84,000.00
Public Works.
- Purchase of two 2024 Ford Transit Cargo Vans for Building Maintenance $92,210.00 Public Works.
The Council also approved the installation of 109 trash receptacles spanning all of the City’s parks as the Parks and Rec department couldn’t get to it this summer.
The Moore City Council will meet again on Monday, November 20th, at 6:30 PM.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
