Strip clubs, car dealers, drive-thrus — those are a few things you won't see around the Arkansas River if a design overlay is passed.
A committee has drafted restrictions on land use and some design regulations. There are a few businesses in the proposed area that wouldn't be allowed, but INCOG Land Development Manager Susan Miller said they won't have to suddenly close.
"They could stay intact as long as they wanted to operate," Miller said. "If they're destroyed, they have two years to rebuild; however, if they're removed and not replaced, then, yeah, they would be prohibited from locating there in the future."
In September, Tulsa's city council passed a moratorium on river development nearly identical to the proposed overlay. The overlay still has to be presented in public meetings, but it could be in place by the end of April.
It covers land use for three distinct river districts, and people who own property within those areas will be receiving notices in the mail about the process from this point forward.
"It's never good to surprise people with new regulations on their property without talking to them about it first," Miller said.
The overlay doesn't address building materials or architectural styles.
"We want quality development and we want development that promotes pedestrian activity, but we don't want everything to be Tudor or traditional or art deco or modern," Miller said. "We want, really, a mix of that. We want to be able to allow for that creativity."
The regulations are intended to push developers toward denser, pedestrian- and outdoor-friendly projects.
