The master plan for Tulsa’s River Parks doesn’t cover development, so leaders are looking for guidance amid talk about water in the river and a Vision renewal.
A 10-year-old River Parks master plan calls for the preservation of green space, and 54 pages of design guidelines from almost seven years ago don’t cover riverfront development.
"We have design guidelines and we have some common sense where something's so far out it's just not going to fit," said River Parks Director Matt Meyer. "Now, when the — if the low-water dams are built, there may be some pressure to do something else with those lands."
River Parks has partnered with Quik Trip on a survey asking park users what they want. The results are expected within a couple months.
Meyer said he knows he’s not looking for fast-food franchises on the banks of the river.
"I didn't want to throw them under the bus, but you know what I mean. We don't want to pave the park; otherwise, you lose the park," he said.
The Tulsa Rugby Club pitched a project within River Parks during a Vision public hearing. That doesn’t mean things like that are a “go.”
"They haven't vetted it through our board, but all these groups think that whatever they do is the most important, so you don't blame them for being passionate about their sport," Meyer said.
River Parks staff hasn’t reviewed the rugby club’s proposal, though there are concerns about the appearance of a parking structure included in it.
Narrow land and limited parking in River Parks limit development opportunities. Meyer also wants to see the trail corridor maintained.
