[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6108485,"mediaKeyId","2768197-639a09cc84523f6bc16153a619c49a01","parentId",2768197,"title","Council approves groundwater treatment site at 4020 E. Tecumseh; neighbors raise discharge and transparency concerns","audioSeconds",519,"startMs",2773000,"endMs",3292000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768197-639a09cc84523f6bc16153a619c49a01&start=2773&end=3292","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768197-639a09cc84523f6bc16153a619c49a01/thumbnail_2773000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6108485/Norman/Cleveland-County/Oklahoma/Council-approves-groundwater-treatment-site-at-4020-E-Tecumseh-neighbors-raise-discharge-and-transparency-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108485-0b7081529a2a8aee8ae433c149123e20/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442907&Signature=ORDiVpL0ymC-j2MjewJQ63BytGIswFcksG4iATsesRzCJo5PGtSUpuSsQho1qmYdxucUaJ7LLNkgmAgO9~j5pBe2wUmfVu9764gOFs-HdGC2tdHCO7LXi331cmnA6g-QRiShB7i7Uh6zBQ7BF4-iC-tj1RkO0OGcpM4frx9AiVqTykYww23wjckHpkF3-5MZ8FDQdqldKq0efTcrtebhfiymfSVfqQ-MvkqbpzLsiBay3Y-aZtp2P5qnVQVTurC0zMZrtINAvKzF5jyki1YKJcwe9biHA9gJPAW87yxguZ5oYLElRAQxxdzZ85nDw5ow3njkqa5ErPTCVn3hFAbO7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Norman, OK","date","2025-03-25T21:09:57Z","article","The Norman City Council unanimously approved three companion actions to allow a municipal groundwater treatment facility at 4020 East Tecumseh Road: a land‑use amendment to designate the parcel for institutional use, an ordinance granting special use for municipal purposes, and approval of the preliminary plat. Council votes on the three items passed without recorded opposition.

City staff and project consultants described the proposal as a groundwater treatment and dosing site intended to ensure a disinfectant residual in portions of the system served by groundwater wells. Staff said state drinking‑water requirements and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) expectations of a disinfectant residual for systems that combine surface and groundwater drove the need for the facility. The project has been planned in the city’s strategic water supply work dating to 2014; the land was acquired in 2021–22 after a prior voter‑approved authorization for land purchase. Funding for the treatment facility was included in a 2023 water‑rate proposition, which staff said allocated $7,000,000 for the facility.

Project details presented to council describe a site of roughly 20.84 acres. Initial construction would include a single‑story operations building with labs and chemical storage, truck loading/unloading areas, a rain garden for stormwater detention, berms and tree plantings for screening, and security fencing. Staff said anticipated chemical supplies would include sodium hypochlorite (a bleach solution) and liquid ammonium sulfate; deliveries were estimated at about one truck per week during peak seasons and less frequently off‑peak. Staff described an executed plan to bury or inset a future 2,000,000‑gallon clear well 20 feet into the ground so its finished height will not exceed adjacent building elevations when the clear well is constructed in a future phase.

To reduce runoff, the project includes on‑site detention, infiltration features and a rain‑garden system; lighting will use full‑cutoff fixtures, staff said. The utilities presentation noted standard secondary containment for chemical tanks and a plan to operate analyzers and automated controls so staff would not need to discharge treated water except under tightly controlled conditions. Staff also said the utility had updated standard operating procedures after a recent chlorine incident affecting Rock Creek to require full dechlorination and monitoring if any discharge were necessary.

Public comment at the hearings was substantial and included multiple nearby residents who said they remained uneasy despite earlier outreach. Trey Kirby, a Ward 5 resident who spoke several times, said neighbors feel “ignored” and repeated concerns about differences between materials shown to the public earlier in the process and the current site plan. Kirby asked about routes for discharge to the Little River and questioned whether the city might use additional land purchases or pipe work later to expand the facility.

Resident Steve Rogers thanked utilities staff for help on a separate billing issue and commended staff member Chris Mattingly by name for responsive service. Other commenters urged the council to consider alternative uses for the parcel and to keep follow‑up design steps transparent.

Councilmembers questioned the applicant and staff on noise, lighting, truck frequency, emergency generator testing, nuisance monitoring and whether the project would require eminent domain for pipeline work. City legal and utilities staff said no eminent domain had been used for site acquisition, that the city relied on willing participation for prior well projects, and that pipelines would be placed in public rights‑of‑way if needed. Staff estimated groundwater currently accounts for roughly 25 to 30 percent of the city’s supply and said the facility is intended to maintain that component of the system reliably.

The council approved the land‑use amendment, the special‑use ordinance and the preliminary plat on unanimous votes. Staff said future phases that add major treatment volumes or storage would return to planning commission and council for additional review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting, 3/25/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Norman City Council unanimously approved land‑use and permitting actions to locate a municipal groundwater treatment facility at 4020 East Tecumseh Road.","taxTitle","Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma","taxId",2684,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6108492,"Council approves rezoning and nine form‑based exceptions for 201 West Apache project",656,2030000,2686000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768197-639a09cc84523f6bc16153a619c49a01&start=2030&end=2686","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768197-639a09cc84523f6bc16153a619c49a01/thumbnail_2030000.jpg","/articles/6108492/Norman/Cleveland-County/Oklahoma/Council-approves-rezoning-and-nine-formbased-exceptions-for-201-West-Apache-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108492-34db8bc37b2f602c4df3a2aacb5fb6d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442907&Signature=QaFc5L5r3KJ2Tlk2e3lX-n2JUWzR~hlu~sY~OB~dUb-pj~IrcoZ~F8kGc-KyKxKKzGbLJ~rzArYGaGUJbrg-iTqGWoIzIH4QBatGzxkts-ukUTDwAFDgBa0xQ7EcxsoripQYNWy7J-gjLPXEoiO3lHG7fZII7w34t2DDdxKNL8eIhLoTudT~K-SlpScuoWpdxferxwywWK9bjAXOAF~~1aCHOh6nUF5YrBLFo07gkYNNnzreqrUFP8BmVDZ9pGCwkyu4BVKq-DJsEP6j2lHyT-FsdHv1oCfpL2iSjRCw9QskC6xvJ0B~xMw2V1XOLjee0BQOb7Hbgdj1W2KMBDqOdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norman City Council voted to adopt an ordinance on second reading rezoning the property at 201 West Apache, approving requested exemptions to the Center City Form Based Code. The motion passed on second reading by a vote of 8–0 with Councilmember Peacock recorded as abstaining.

The applicant presented a conceptual four‑story building with two ground‑floor commercial units and three residential floors above, proposed to contain 18 bedrooms. The applicant sought nine exemptions, including a reduced setback from the required build line (moving the required build line from 5 feet behind the property line to 3 feet behind it), allowance for facade segmentation where the frontage exceeds 75 feet, chamfered corner entries, a street‑wall placement exception, and a modified parking plan.

Center City zoning requires one parking space per bedroom (18 spaces). The developer proposed 6 on‑site spaces, 7 on‑street spaces along Santa Fe and Apache, and a shared‑parking agreement for 7 off‑site spaces with First Baptist Church, which the applicant said is within a comfortable walking distance (about two blocks, within 700 feet). That arrangement yields 20 total spaces though not all are on the property.

The applicant said stormwater would be retained on site using infiltration trenches tied to roof drains to minimize runoff and meet local stormwater requirements. A representative for the applicant said the design \"meets the spirit of center city\" and noted the shared parking agreement had been executed.

Councilmembers asked staff and the applicant about first‑floor use requirements under the form‑based code (whether a coffee shop would be classified as retail or food service) and about design incentives to encourage more active neighborhood uses. The applicant clarified a small coffee shop would be treated as a food‑service establishment rather than simple retail under current definitions; councilmembers asked staff to review code language and potential incentives.

The ordinance was adopted on second reading; the council record notes no amendments were adopted during the session.","The Norman City Council adopted an ordinance on second reading approving rezoning at 201 West Apache and granted multiple Center City Form Based Code exemptions for a proposed four‑story building with ground‑floor commercial space and 18 bedrooms; the motion passed 8‑0 with one abstention.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6108494,"Norman proclaims April 2025 Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month; nonprofits plan blue‑light vigil",488,618000,1106000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768197-639a09cc84523f6bc16153a619c49a01&start=618&end=1106","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768197-639a09cc84523f6bc16153a619c49a01/thumbnail_618000.jpg","/articles/6108494/Norman/Cleveland-County/Oklahoma/Norman-proclaims-April-2025-Child-Abuse-and-Neglect-Prevention-Month-nonprofits-plan-bluelight-vigil","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108494-8c208adee2b1d3a3d10b0a068199cbc0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442907&Signature=D-M~QjjBlk6wC7G~l0eltXDvy6LTKuevnyeefJ-SzW2T5O6as4xXCamAmY0xOREnoXn~kGh1FRhFmQiAWOOQ25JqIFcomZirdtHsJ4xHqPlpbkbbNTYOErkvh9WV7~jQPS7XQiq94Pg-ztanwZF4cnlL0vVBMX71yGd6MxcrKA26byuTHJWXZlpauMwV5NMGID4o2a8TLbbRsLFCBGzTeDsuelbi7pneVrpxjAX1W6UFptX8F12OG26XOgv8BXyN0H8kpFVelqPcXxeRr7TJi7OO9z3MWIWmixoUZ~R0uIlR5Ll3c4T~FuLFuCaiGgpPY8dvl8kW~sceUt0AK5Bv1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Norman on Monday acknowledged a mayoral proclamation designating April 2025 as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, a measure the council approved unanimously.

The proclamation, read at the council meeting, cites that Cleveland County reported 830 victims of child abuse or neglect in 2024 and urges residents to help prevent and report abuse. The council voted to acknowledge receipt of the proclamation by unanimous voice vote.

The proclamation notes community groups, schools, faith organizations and volunteers provide services and advocacy year‑round. Representatives of Bethesda and the Exchange Club of Norman came forward to accept the proclamation and to thank the council. A representative from those organizations said the groups will hold a public ceremony at the flagpole at Main and The Tracks on Tuesday, April 1, at 7:00 p.m., and will illuminate blue lights to correspond to the county’s confirmed cases.

Public comment preceding the proclamation included remarks from Baxter, founder of the nonprofit Racism Stinks, who invited attendees to join the Norman Unity Parade on May 3 and said the group’s motto is “Real, Not Woke.” Baxter told the council the parade “is about rebuilding trust in our law enforcement and the communities that they serve.”

Council members and invited nonprofit representatives emphasized outreach beyond April and promoted local prevention resources and community events tied to the awareness month. Council members also encouraged residents to display ribbons and signs available beginning April 1.

The proclamation directs city departments and residents to prioritize child safety and recognizes local nonprofit involvement in prevention and advocacy; it does not itself create new funding or programs.","The City of Norman unanimously acknowledged a mayoral proclamation naming April 2025 Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. Community organizations, including Bethesda and the Exchange Club of Norman, will mark the month with outreach and a blue‑light ceremony honoring county substantiated cases.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves groundwater treatment site at 4020 E. Tecumseh; neighbors raise discharge and transparency concerns

Council approves rezoning and nine form‑based exceptions for 201 West Apache project

Norman proclaims April 2025 Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month; nonprofits plan blue‑light vigil