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Zoning Changes to Support Bus Rapid Transit in the Works for 11th and Peoria Properties

City of Tulsa/Tulsa Transit

The owner of a handful of properties around 11th Street and Peoria Avenue is taking advantage of a City of Tulsa program to encourage new development near coming bus rapid transit lines.

Group M Investment’s holdings there total almost two acres and include the entire southeast corner. INCOG’s Dwayne Wilkerson said the zoning should be changed from office and commercial uses to pedestrian-focused mixed-use with unlimited building height.

"That unlimited height is consistent with the existing [commercial] zoning that is all along this area," Wilkerson said.

Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commissioner Ted Reeds asked about the potential impact to a landmark adjacent to one parcel.

"This doesn’t affect the Meadow Gold sign, correct?" Reeds said.

"No, it does not," Wilkerson said.

"OK. That’s all I want to know."

After consultants told city officials dense, walkable development could help support rapid bus service, the City of Tulsa came up with a program to let landowners along the route request zoning changes free of charge.

The 18-mile Peoria Avenue route for the bus line, which has been dubbed Aero, is scheduled to start running next year.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.