By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
A decision on whether to allow a new manufactured home community just east of Yukon has again been delayed.
The Oklahoma City Council at its Aug. 17th meeting deferred action two weeks on a rezoning request for 51.53 acres at 10800 Old Highway 4. The agenda item has now been deferred three times.
Council members heard from a Yukon Public Schools’ board member who lives nearby.
Owner/developer Dact, LLC is seeking approval for a new planned unit development (PUD) on undeveloped property west of the Kilpatrick Turnpike on the north side of Old Hwy 4. The site is in far west Oklahoma City near Yukon High School on S Yukon Parkway.
Oklahoma City’s planning commission and city staff have recommended approval of a project that proposes 246 manufactured home lots.
The site map shows tract two designated for “manufactured (mobile) home park” zoning with tract one (at the corner of the turnpike and Old Hwy 4) for “community commercial district” zoning. The property is now zoned for “light industrial” use.
Oklahoma City council members voted 7-0 to delay the rezoning request until their next regular meeting Aug. 31.
Some 15 protestors signed up to speak during the Aug. 17th meeting, which started at 8:30 a.m. in Oklahoma City’s council chambers.
After learning three hours later that no action would be taken on the rezoning request, most of these residents agreed to wait until the next council meeting to address city officials.
Their decision came after Ward 1 City Council Member Bradley Carter said he had just received a “request from the developer to defer another two weeks”. Two members were absent at that point.
“This notice just literally came to me,” said Carter, apologizing to concerned residents who had waited all morning. “I did not foresee this.”
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt told the audience the item would be “moved up for discussion” near the start of the next council meeting.
“If you do return, you won’t have to wait three hours,” Holt told the residents. “Because of the way this has gone on for several meetings, I’ll make that commitment.”
After the council agreed unanimously to defer the item until its Aug. 31st meeting, Mayor Holt thanked them for their patience.
An executive session is planned at the next meeting for council members to receive legal advice from the city attorney.
WEARING TWO HATS
One person who did address the Oklahoma City Council on Aug. 17 was Suzanne Cannon, a homeowner in the neighboring Sun Valley Acres Addition near N.W. 10th and Sara Road.
“We are less than half a mile from the proposed development,” said Cannon, of Mayside Drive.
“On the far west side of Oklahoma City, I sometimes feel like we’re ‘forgotten’ or left behind – although the city does everything they can to help us as they can.”
Cannon talked about water and other infrastructure issues, ingress/egress onto 10th Street, mowing tall grass, and delayed police response times. She shared concerns about the impact a new mobile home development would have on drainage in the area, existing wildlife on the site and nearby property values.
“We’re worried if zoning is approved, there’s nothing to keep the developer from changing his proposed development plans to maybe make it a greater density there, which then also increases traffic and the demand for city services,” she told council members.
Changing “hats,” Cannon also addressed the council as a member of the YPS Board of Education.
She expressed her fear this manufactured home community would not generate sufficient ad valorem tax funding for YPS to educate another 200-500 students, creating a potential “hardship” to the district.
The site is within Yukon school district boundaries, close to the Yukon High School campus on Yukon Parkway.
There are several other mobile home developments further east on N.W. 10th whose students attend YPS.
“Our job, our calling and our mission is to educate every single student with a quality education that meets their needs,” Cannon said. “Education in Oklahoma continues to be underfunded and we do an excellent job with the money that we have and the services we’re able to provide for our children.”
If the Oklahoma City Council approves the Old Highway 4 manufactured home proposal, Cannon said YPS would welcome the children living there “with open arms.”
“As a board member, my passion is the kids,” she said. “And doing the right thing for the kids. We have got to be able to do it appropriately, fairly and equitably.”
