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"As a proponent of Form Based Codes it honestly pains me to think that these business would feel as if these codes are such a threat to them. I personally was not involved in the process that drew up the specifics of this code, but knew about it generally and tried to keep abreast of how the progress was going. But all the properties and businesses that have been there are "grandfathered in", they can stay the way they are. IF however they completely rebuild, then of course they must fit the code just like any other business must fit the present code in the rest of the city. And, if they make changes above and beyond a certain amount, that too would need to fit the new code, or the old code. AND in both of those instances they can apply for an exception/PUD just like others were doing for other parts of town the very day of this meeting. Or as the example I gave earlier with the Gengis Grill. With the current zoning and codes their pedestrian friendly design that they wanted to add to Cherry Street was illegal. They went before the board and got an exception. These businesses in the Pearl, under the new codes, can do that like everyone else has to do now if they want to do that. One of the main things the Form Based Codes call for is diversity of use, living, shops, and yes work. And nobody wants Tulsa to lose any jobs so if any business came before the board that had been there and needed an exception because of some hardship that would push them to leave, I can't possibly imagine that the TMAPC would deny them that exception. Matter of fact QT got an exception just a while back to do what they did in Brookside against the Brookside Plan.
One side note. From what I gather of the new census it appears Tulsa is losing population. It was barely holding steady for a long time and only then because of hispanic immigration. But apparently now we are losing population again. Someone the other day said something to me that shocked me at first, but then I thought about it and figured that what they said was to a large extent true. What they said was "There is no real difference between Tulsa and Owasso except that Tulsa is older and trashy and has worse schools compared to Owasso. If you want suburban living, he is pretty much right. Then I watch as friends and their businesses, family members, and others leave Tulsa for cities that have Urban Living which we do not offer and will not really be able to offer because we do not allow it in most parts of the city. Then I look at cities our size that have zoned for urban development and see how much faster they are growing,,, well it makes you wonder. Change is going to happen to Tulsa and those businesses in the Pearl District one way or another. Whether any area gets better (prices go up through gentrification) or worse (and crime goes up) nothing stays the same and these companies will have to adapt, or move (with or without FBC's). We really believe its better, not just for this area and those particular businesses, but for the city and metro region as a whole if Tulsa begins to offer high quality, competitive, urban living. Otherwise other cities that offer it will pull urban dwellers away, and our suburbs, like Owasso will pull the suburban dwellers away to their greener pastures.
Tulsa has just about filled up its boundaries to the south. It has a nice reprive to the west with the Tulsa Hills area. But after that, the suburbs will definitely out do us in the easy suburban development game. The only game that will be left for Tulsa to grow will be through infill. It will be infill or die. Do we want good, competitive urban infill, or lousy stuff that can't compete with the suburbs or other cities?"
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