City Council

, .-" ^ ,-,r ---- i-- -t ur",/ta,/.fu- l(z'^- -) a iT,62, . i. -',,i1 ]u tr"i-[ili it*. C/' 1966 q1t''t' full{w' OCT 11 f '') CIIY OF CITY A SPECIAL STUDY OF THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE HARRISON T'RBAN RENEWAL PROJECT September 2 , L966 Prepared by: Oklahoma City P ing Department Oklahoma City Urban newal Authority Oklahoma City ing Authority J r. INTRODUCTION A. History of=lhe_Qqlqy This study was prepared ht the direction of the City Council by resolution adopteO irtaf af , Lg65. The Council directed that the study be completed withih LzO days" The resolution direeted the "Public Housing Authority, the Urban Renewal Authority, and the Planning Commission, on a coordinated basis, to investigate and prepare a preliminary feasi- bility study and report thereon tp the Council on the feasibil- ity and desirability of initiating clearance through public housing in this area at this time and/or incLuding this area in the revised Medical Center Project, and in adldition, study the feasibility of using open space money, when such becomes available, to obtain and develop the area along the railroad track as an extension of ulash- ington Park and a buffer to the railroad." A Special Planning Commi,ttee consisting of Ray B. Patton, Director of Planning for the Citfl of Oklahoma City, James T" Yeild- ing, Executive Director of the U{ban Renewal Authority, and To}bert E. Elliott, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Housing Auth- ority, met several times during the I2O day period, supervised a detailed housing survey of the area, and prepared policy recommenda- tions for improvement of the area, in accordance with the reguest of the City Council. The recommendations of this committee were I a finalized for submission to the City Council on September 27, two clays before expiration of the LzO day period. (See memos, Section IV of this report") B. The Area Studied The Eastern Portion of t\e Harrisgn-ilalnut Urban Renewal Project Area extends from the proposed right-of-way of the Capitol Expressrvay on the west, to Washingfton Park on the east, from N.E. 4th Street on the north to the c.Rl.I.& P. Railroad on the south. The area is predominately residential in character, and consists of the following land usess Existinq Land Use Acre age Residential 2A.4 Commercial 1"8 Industrial 2 5 Public ) 2 Other (streets, rzacant) 27 "A ro[,al 64 "g Source: 1965 Land Use Sukvey, Oklahoma City Area Regional. Transportation Ftudy As proposed in the Community Development Program, the Harrison-Walnut Urban Renewal Project is schedul.ed to begin in fiscal year L974-75" I II. I?INDINGS A. Sub standard Buildinq Conditions Bu.ilding conditions in the study area were surveyed during the summer of Lg66 by college students trained by the Special Study Committee; the detailed survey re$ults are presented in Section IV of this report. Ttre survey revealed that the buildings in the area are extremely substandard. Eighty-nine (89) percent of the residential structures in the area are not feasible for rehabilitation; and sixty-eight (68) percent of the commercial buildings are not feasi- ble for rehabilitation. Ttre poor conditions of the buildings in the area reflect the residents' low incomes. Only 34 of the 239 families interviewed had incomes over $3,OO0 per year. These sta- tistics inclicate that the area vrj,ll definj.tely reguire some kind of treatment tn order to provide adeguate living conditions for its residents. B" Urban Renewal Atthough an urban rene!,raI project vuould be the best approach for upgrading the area, the Commlttee found that an urban r€Derlldl projeqt is_not feasible_qt this time. An urban renevral project for this area would cost approximately $3"3 million, vrith a loca1 cost of $1.I million (see Section IV)" Due to the limited necessity for loca1 improvements in the area, a loeal cash contribution of $875,503 would be reguired. Because of the large cash contribution reguired, an urban renewaL Project is not irunediately feasib}e unless funds can be diverted from other municipal functions. It would be de- sirable and necessary, therefore, tO wait until excess credits are available from other urban renewal projects at which time the eastern portion of the Harrison-Walnut Urban Rener,.raI Project could be renewed as part of the larger iproject area. The onLy real possi- bility for beginning the Harrisorl-Walnut Project much earlier than the scheduled date, however, is Jpproval of the DeqroPstration Cities Act now before Congress. fhis act vrould reduce local contributions necessary from one-third to about ten percent. C. Concentra Code En t Discussions vrith pepartrtent of Housing and Urban Develop- ment (IIt D) officials indicate th+t they would not approve a federal}: aided Concentrated Code Enforcement Program for an area such as this. Ttrey believe that such a badly deteriorated area cannot be upgraded sufficiently within the three year limit stipulated in the federal concentrated code enforcement prbgram. Areas selected for treatment under the federal program normal.I.y contain a much lower percentage of substandard structurres than do urban renewal areas" Ihe area under study is almost 1O0 percenrt, substandard (substandard buildings incLude those feasible for rehabilitation) and would definitely gualify as an urban renewaL project if feasiJcle financing could be arranged. D" Open Spa ce Development The estimatecl cost of acguiring and developing the fj-rst phase (southern half) of the park strip proposed near the C.R.I.& P. Railroad is about $70,835 (loca1 $hare). A detailed cost estimate for this development is presented in Section IV of this report. Acguisition of park space should begin r.lithin the three year period preceding the init,iation of an urban renewal project, if grant-in-aid credits are to be realized for the park development. E" Land Use Change The Committee considered the poesibility of allowing or encouraging industrial development in the area" It was decided that this change would not be des able unless the area is totallY redeveloped as an urban renewal pdoject. I,flhen final planning is done for this area, due consideration will be given to marltetability of land for industrial and other uses" A mere change in zoning at this time, hor,vever, would make the area less livable by allowing incremental industrial development with bad effects upon remaining residential uses. J rII" RECOMMENDATIONS A" Emphasis on Normal Code Enforcement The Committee recommends that the City housing code and other related codes be enforced in this area, ES they are enforced in non-urban renewal and non-concgntrated code enforcement areas. This means that the eastern portibn of the Harrison-!',ia1nut Area will have to be given higher priopity in the "City of Ok'lahoma City Comprehensive Code Enforcemept Program" strbmitted with the I,trorkable Program. Normal code enforcement should begin at the southern portion of the study ut"f , and move northward to eliminate the worst structures. In additioh , those structures that are now vacant should be inspected in the initial stages of the normal code enforcement program" Tlris program of normal code enforcement will provide a research test of the effectivenes of our loca1 codes in alleviating substandard housing conditions. B. Terminate Access to Sou 1|tre flow of industrial and other traffic, via roads in the southern portion of the study .r"L, generates dust and noise that adversely affects the study area. Etre closing of these roads would eliminate much of the noise and dust, vlould prevent the movement of industrial traffic through the area, and would make the study area a safer residential environment. firerefore, temporary cloSing of these north-south roads at the railroad right-of-way is hereby proposed- c" Acquisition of Riqht-of-ftray for Capitol Expre SSV'AY Irhe Ol;ec-'-live Director of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority together with their respec:ive stE rfs, have carried out a d ed survey and prepared policy recom- mendations for improvement of ttre area IN accordance with the request of the City Co;ncil . NCW, II{EREFORE, BE IT RESoLVED by the tsoard of commissioners of the Ok-:.-:,oma City Urban Renewal Authority that said study together with its findings anc recomme;:iaiions are hereby approved and the Executive Director is authorized to su-::i:t said study to the city council Qf oklahoma city. C. liarold Thweatt ecretary to the Board of Commissioners : ',-..,,,, i'l;iaho::-a City Urban Renewal Au tX, certify that the foregoing Resolution S e ial me eting of the Board of l'cnerrlissioner"s of the Oklahoma City U n Renewal Authority held at its offices, 22 Park Avenue Building, Oklahoma Ci , Oklahoma, on the 6th day of October 1966; ttrat sai meeting was held in accordance with the ,?,;r-Laws of the Authority; that any notic required to be gi\ren of such meeting was p', operiy given; that a quorum v/as pres at all times during such meeting, and ilrar sai.d Resolution was adopted by a ity of those present. L \( e G^.* L'^ SECRETARY AV:: NAY h I{ARVEY EVEREST ,l I r. D. [4C0N ii J IL4 L00!(Iii,t'L; G1,{ \ir'. l;i. l-:;j.r 1,,,iui'l C. H. TH"i/ IAI'T ttn? J_. fi. T. Moran, Vice J"L, L! - the Mayoels. g,[air during his absence from the tvleeting. sEP 2? rc6r- '! * tlorzed byhv lir.tvfr- I-ov€,T.orra seconCed by f/, {'' \*/(;) lir. Petree that the P.nC0l&fENDhTI0i{ cf the }Iunicipal Cou.nscLor :icr r'-':.:::lty to investigate the matter cf Lhe hearing to be i:e,r.cl, L:,','.::1,,i^.v regarding Tnrst on acii-on lnsti-tuted by Univerei-t;.- o'L OkLahoma, and if appropriate, ito i-ngervene or eppear, L.: CCI;CU:.:.:) _)-" Motion was read and adopted by tl:e fo-1-Lowi-ng ro1L caJ-L vc:e i ,1'r--?? ^ - Messrs . Petree , Moran, Byrd, Lcve , Der'.pree , Johnson ani l:- .:cp " ','r Mayor Shirk returnec, ':: ':l'le :-:-'-,:-'.3i and was present during the rernainder of the rneeting. ed" by Mr. Lcve, sece:ied i'.- Mr. Byrd that the ResoLution denf-i-nq the application of )c'.'l-e , i::'t:!-e and Gary Lee Boulware for a Ce:t:ifica':e of Public Con','en:'-ei.:e.:.:-; Necessity to operate the Nortl:. S'i-cle Ci: Company in Cirl-.:.:c:..- iL'-.- " be REFERRED T0 liiE TFAFI?iC COI:f{,-,3SIC):. l{ction r.ras ::e€.a:.' ai,:^:eC by the foLlowing roli cali vote: A;"es" l'lessrs. Petre' '..'::::'- ^ )y::i - Love, Deupree, Johnson and Bisiro.l " '-_.---i-a.m -'i::. Coil-ine,: i -:crneyr D.Dpeared on behalf of petitioners, anci ::e.:ent::' l-etters f:::: 1;1.i-'.:ct€ citizens in favor of the operation of t-:.e':e.zl-c:'::e:i,rice. -l.etters presented to City Cierk. Mr. J. I:. Robinson, Director of Traffic Control, stated the Traffic po.rr,:nission did not have the certificate. Mbssrs. Guy Fu11er anci Fred Schii3-ing, nting private cab companies, Appeared before the Councii. :k }{oved by Mr. Petree, seconded by Mr. Love that a fourteen-day extensiqn cf time to compl-ete the sturdy of area adjacent to Medical Center Lilban I?.enewaJ- Project, be GF*AIiTED. Motion was read and adopted by the fol--1-c;.;iag ro1-1 ca-1-1 \zote: Ayes, i:"ess::s. Petree, Moran, Eyri, Lcvc, )e:*--pree, iohnson a:i 3isl:ep. J, 1..q.;er', :y r\-:i. ,a,-ov€, secon..1e i b;t Mr. Moran that the Resolution araeni'j-lg S:en