Last Updated on November 8, 2021, 10:14 PM | Published: November 8, 2021
MOORE, Oklahoma (Free Press) — The City Council of Moore met On Monday, November 1, to discuss several proposals to widen existing roadways and approve City plats for development.
The biggest ticket items were all roadway expansion and development, which targeted SW 34th street from Little River to S. Broadway and the intersection of SW 19th and Santa Fe Ave
I-35 will have a new speed limit through Moore, changing to match with the 65 MPH speed limits which are held by the Oklahoma City and Norman areas.
Roadway Development
The City Council passed the resolution to widen the SW 19th Street and Santa Fe Ave intersection.
This area has been the site of major congestion and will be getting a few changes to raise its carrying capacity.
It will be widened to accommodate dual left-turn lanes and a designated right turn only lane when feasible.
Along with this comes a 10ft wide trail or sidewalk and the normal 6ft sidewalks on other legs of the intersection. Added streetscaping will blend the intersection well with new developments around Moore.
The total cost for the project is around $2.39 million.
The City will pay 20%, which is around $478,000, and the rest will be paid by the federal government.
34th Street, from Little River to S. Broadway will also be widened to accommodate larger traffic flows.
Currently, the road is four lanes but condenses to two after passing the Little River area.
The passed Resolution will make this street four lanes, continuing well after the Little River.
It also adds the 10ft wide trail and the 6ft wide regular sidewalks. Signal lights will be added at the S Eastern Ave and S Broadway intersections as well.
The total project cost is $7.8 Million, with 1.8 million paid by the City.
Plat Confirmations, Land Use and Rezoning
Behind the Silver Leaf Shopping center and within the neighborhood, an empty plot of land may be developed soon.
The site was rezoned in an August meeting as “Residential Development,” specifically for single-family use.
The preliminary plat approved by the Council rezones this area as “Commercial Community” (CC), which allows for the planned residential development.
It will include five dwellings that conform with rules that will complement the nearby neighborhood, including,
- 70% masonry on the exterior facade,
- 2 car garages,
- 1 to 2 trees per lot,
- 4 to 7 shrubs per lot.
The planning commission recommended approval and the Preliminary Plat was approved unanimously.
The final plat of Grace Pointe 1 was also approved.
It was a re-plat of the Grace Point Addition, which is currently an addition to the Grace Pointe Senior Community.
It will not include any housing additions so will be designated as Community commercial for future use.
A vacant property north of SE 19th Street, east of Broadway Ave, and adjacent to the Railway was approved for land use “transitional commerce” to comply with the planned Mini Storage facility.
The Comprehensive Plan called for it to be considered “regional center” land use, but this would not allow the mini storage to be built.
The amendment changing the designated land use and the final plat were both approved by the Council.
I-35 Speed Limit
The City Council passed a Resolution to allow the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to modify the speed limit of I-35 through Moore.
A 70 MPH speed limit did not match with the 65 MPH speed limits in Norman and south Oklahoma City.
The Council passed the resolution with a fun reluctance, knowing it had to be done, but having a hearty laugh doing so.
The next Moore City council meeting is scheduled for November 15th, 2021.
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.
