News
Mayor Receives Recommendations From Land Use Task Force
ARCHIVED PRESS RELEASE: Published 6-19-2009
Mayor Kathy Taylor today announced that the nine member task
Force she appointed in April of this year has delivered its
recommendations on improving education and communication on Land
Use Planning.
Mayor Taylor asked the Task Force to analyze existing city
land use education and communication processes and to make
recommendations for improvement. The task force was charged with
making recommendations for increasing public awareness, interest
and understanding for citizens and neighborhood groups as well as
elected officials and city employees about city planning and land
use processes and decisions. Recommendations were suggested in many
categories, including training and knowledge management for
citizens and city employees, codes, general recommendations, legal
issues and inspections. The recommendations will advance the
dissemination of information and enhance neighborhood involvement
in all aspects of land use planning.
Mayor Taylor will analyze the recommendations in detail over the
coming weeks and establish a plan for implementing short term goals
which she will review with the Task Force. Taylor said the focus of
this Task Force is particularly critical in light of the upcoming
adoption of a new comprehensive plan for the City of Tulsa. The
last time the comprehensive plan was updated was more than 30 years
ago.
"Effective citizen participation is fundamental to the
successful implementation of any new comprehensive plan," Taylor
said. "I am proud to have selected a bipartisan group of extremely
knowledgeable, capable individuals to help us review and reshape
our land use practices so they can better meet Tulsa's future
needs."
Taylor expressed confidence that the "Task Force has begun the
process of bringing Tulsan's back into touch with their land use
planning system. Their review and recommendations will help us to
focus on the new realities and demands that have emerged over the
past 30 years with respect to citizen and neighborhood education,
communication and involvement in the areas of zoning, planning and
all the related issues that affect neighborhoods.
The Task Force has met on a weekly basis since April,
heard reports and analyzed information from the City's Planning
Department and Development Services, TMAPC, INCOG, interested
neighborhood representatives, citizens and various task force
members representing a broad range of community perspectives and
interests.
Based on the information gathered and analyzed they have
produced recommendations that will set a course for achieving the
following goals:
- Ensuring that good plans remain intact over time;
- Reducing the likelihood of contentious battles before councils
and planning commissions;
- Speeding the development process and reducing the cost of good
projects;
- Increasing the quality of planning;
- Enhancing the general sense of community and trust in
government.
