[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6623903,"mediaKeyId","2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42","parentId",2769412,"title","Council approves TIF parameters for 'Mid McAlester' after heated public hearing on proposed housing","audioSeconds",566,"startMs",3449000,"endMs",4015000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42&start=3449&end=4015","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42/thumbnail_3449000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6623903/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/Council-approves-TIF-parameters-for-Mid-McAlester-after-heated-public-hearing-on-proposed-housing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623903-74e0664e0405210c33d61d1945c8b8cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176441&Signature=nmt7Zfs1DTcm~NPVuz8pwTggENpWR88euOOtgcPgQ9pPRPuH89hibOfDtDFX1kho4wdiQ9F3cUpZxyTEfNoeWvEuyEnnSc1~ftifS5mUiUi76BNlLoDys77PxDHz1IIJU3uoBoPppPRAVEg1zXTxN2CbU9n3nvZabIY2u-O58bBeXLNbiX2IRGfcIQvodI8w9d3vrYT1Ify1hPLY2yxHA6Au7VmOHwuncfil3zMgLkEC-QF~Ew~RZLEO85Ti29fAJC7IUXdyuKSVzj7AohwLxfF3SOc3r5TAe2kKNg7RP3KV6efIBsY7ORjoWANgBK2FneWA~ShnC6FMS7VCg9O4Og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mcalester","date","2025-03-26T01:11:20.33Z","article","The McAlester City Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday creating Increment District No. 2 — the TIF package for the Mid McAlester development — after a public hearing in which nearby residents pressed the developer and city staff on traffic, drainage, sewer capacity and density.

Developer Curtis Woods presented a site plan that he said would include a mix of shops and restaurants plus roughly 28 housing units on the nine-acre parcel. Woods described design changes intended to increase walkability, close one entrance on Tanglewood and add sidewalks and walking paths to connect the housing to nearby retail.

The nut graf: council action at the meeting did not approve final site plans or construction permits. Instead the ordinance sets the tax-increment financing parameters that the city would make available to a developer who later signs a development agreement; city staff and outside counsel repeatedly told the audience that detailed site plans, stormwater and building permits still must clear planning, engineering and permits before any dirt is moved.

Residents and neighbors used the public hearing to press specific concerns. Multiple speakers said Tanglewood already carries heavy traffic and flooding, described yard flooding near Patriot and Dodge, and questioned whether lift stations and sewer lines could absorb additional demand. “Is the sewer capacity in the city going to take all that?” asked Nancy Wilson Hunt, who lives on Crooked Oak Lane. City staff replied that sewer and stormwater matters are part of required civil submissions and that a detention/retention plan is required before permitting.

Neighbors also raised safety and congestion concerns tied to existing shopping center traffic, school bus stops at Tanglewood and Crooked Oak, and construction truck routing. Several speakers asked for third‑party traffic studies, turn lanes or a center left turn lane, and additional crossing or calming measures on Tanglewood. A resident asked that heavy construction traffic be routed via the frontage road rather than local streets.

City staff and the developer offered several clarifications during the hearing. City staff said prior traffic work had been done for the retail portion of the wider project and that ODOT had performed a study leading to the existing signal at George Nye. Staff and the developer said the housing portion would be phased (the developer noted an initial build of eight units to test the market) and that final lot sizes, building footprints and civil engineering remain subject to city review. Special counsel Melissa Westfall told the audience the approved ordinance establishes anticipated parameters — including an anticipated private investment and a timetable for apportionment — and that the development agreement and site plan approvals would return to council for review.

Council vote: councilors and the mayor voted to adopt the ordinance after a motion and second. The roll call recorded in the minutes shows the measure carried with all members voting in favor.

What the ordinance does and does not do: the adopted ordinance establishes the TIF boundary, apportionment period and funding apportionments and corrects a number of typographical and date items in the project plan. It moves certain administrative apportionments between fiscal years and extends one apportionment period from eight to nine years in the draft. It does not authorize construction, change zoning or approve final site plans; those remain separate approvals.

Neighbors pressed the council for an independent traffic study during public comment and some council members acknowledged the request but also emphasized the timeline sensitivity for retail tenants that the developer said are under contract. Special counsel and staff said those tradeoffs were part of the council’s deliberation.

The council’s adoption of the ordinance begins a sequence of negotiations: if the developer chooses to accept the TIF parameters, a development agreement must be negotiated and returned to council for approval, and all engineering, stormwater and building permits must be approved before construction begins.

Provenance: the council’s hearing began with remarks from Curtis Woods on the proposed layout and continued through resident comments and counsel explanation of the ordinance; the council then voted to adopt the ordinance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New -Special and Regular City Council Meeting, March 25th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The McAlester City Council adopted an ordinance creating Increment District No. 2 for the Mid McAlester development after a public hearing in which neighbors raised traffic, drainage, sewer and density concerns about a planned housing and retail project.","taxTitle","McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma","taxId",53915,"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},6623892,"Council signs nonbinding letter to join regional consortium for proposed Atoka energy/data park",1662,4330000,5992000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42&start=4330&end=5992","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42/thumbnail_4330000.jpg","/articles/6623892/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/Council-signs-nonbinding-letter-to-join-regional-consortium-for-proposed-Atoka-energydata-park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623892-dd87af96201b762ad944c75ce34a3c51/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176441&Signature=XOv36lCv5iissRtY1YCQMwuGz1kn0Ny9d6f6W-F9bRbgycVnMTAhjeCnJkh2T7tHlMv1U0Nvxk~oznpIV8tHIVpDBTzu1~GVINrgBdoNrz0GbP087zBZXqrWYstpJZxoh1QARtGengUaYXR5iJsOHJDkcAswSbfJ~EvkaRyGtbwjJS1kH4WqEUADFzNO2NOuYhrzpbmFNsenW8vUxxO9r6pfPKIm0urZIYE7hiKPpMEhBVbb0EMNLZLteSNBy0HfJZLmHJEPuVm4ZSKUoPSZM7IoJskyvp35l27Lz5PmZVY~WZ21bXkR44DwxukWujK6Suf57gqytuw8xEALTgvEAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The McAlester City Council approved a nonbinding letter of intent to participate in a regional consortium that would support a proposed energy park and data‑center complex near Atoka.

Representatives from Atoka, including Mayor Brian Cathy and partner John Hardy, briefed the council on a concept to build on‑site generation and data center capacity to serve large computing users. Presenters described the approach as a self‑contained generation and data‑center park designed to avoid overloading regional grid capacity: the project team said it plans on constructing generation and facility infrastructure sized to the users served rather than relying solely on existing transmission upgrades.

Presenters described the proposal as an economic development consortium: McAlester’s signed letter would express interest and allow the project team to include McAlester in underwriting and demographic materials that the lenders and developers require. Presenters emphasized the commitment being requested is nonbinding and that no municipal funding or obligation is authorized by the letter; any formal municipal participation, revenue sharing or service agreements would be negotiated and returned to each jurisdiction for approval.

Project proponents cited potential local benefits if the project advances: construction employment, operational jobs (presenters estimated tens to a few hundred operational positions), hotel and rental demand during construction and the potential for revenue sharing from a later financial structure. Speakers said underwriting and contractual guarantees would be provided by third‑party institutional partners and that the master utility service agreement (MUSA) structure would be explicit about risk allocation and oversight.

Councilors asked about how revenue would flow and who signs the MUSA; presenters said formulas and shares would be worked out once the full consortium and underwriting commitments are secured and that McAlester would receive periodic payments under a negotiated agreement if it participated. The council voted to approve the letter of intent by roll call; staff said the letter can be edited for language to reflect council’s preferences before final transmission.

The vote does not bind the city to future agreements or funding; it allows the project team to present McAlester among a broader regional demographic footprint required by lenders.","McAlester joined other municipalities by approving a nonbinding letter of intent to participate in a draft Master Utility Service Agreement for a proposed Atoka energy park and data‑center complex. Presenters said participation requires no city funding now and could yield revenue shares if the large project moves forward.",{"_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},6623896,"Council rezones parcel for basketball training facility; applicant says gym will host leagues, camps",233,6014000,6247000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42&start=6014&end=6247","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42/thumbnail_6014000.jpg","/articles/6623896/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/Council-rezones-parcel-for-basketball-training-facility-applicant-says-gym-will-host-leagues-camps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623896-ec476dcd33eaedb47ced7dff59013e85/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176441&Signature=NiMHhHUv5iBlo-ZZGX4gUD~rWrAXm8g2QWdsmvSA-i2dGW1EGc1g3mZjDC8CdoB-UxCKysSiZk3RjGh47afd0Je4zkZJR0WsipFIXoTRPk46zjRaJKP74R9tfXWhLBAtPHjov2GcTwLbuvr5N3ypUK6dC5bwj6P7NohObXRI1Zf~0ci~vm1nDy3SCsjqDB0B8iZ3dGRgvtVJJT7~rFxt-SsGW6Ky2-d-IMZe6vwPZwTHkvYCFEE-4kqtHLqYcvXT0ZOVchwrvYx~b9zb9QSSj1IC1pBMLvQ0LMg1nGb42uoUSUESZss6BXCoaVvNu-KQgq5WlviiCy6jdQ80s9KhqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The McAlester City Council approved a rezoning request to allow construction of a new recreation and training facility for youth sports and fitness on a parcel near the Green Meadow subdivision.

Applicant Brett Williams told the council he intends to construct a roughly 47,552‑square‑foot building for basketball training, leagues, camps and clinics. Planning staff reported the MacAlester Planning Commission reviewed the application at a special meeting and recommended approval.

Context and clarifications: the council packet and agenda described the requested change as a reclassification from R‑1B (single‑family) to C‑3 (general commercial). During the staff/applicant presentation the applicant referenced meeting the area regulations and called the requested commercial classification “C‑2”; staff confirmed the property appears to meet setback and off‑street parking requirements but that final site plan and civil engineering reviews are required before any building permits issue. That discrepancy in classification language will be reconciled in the administrative record prior to final permitting.

The motion to approve the rezoning carried on roll call and the ordinance amending the zoning map was approved. Staff noted there were no written objections in the record, and one adjacent property owner asked clarification questions about a curb apron and the existing status of Tenth Street, which will remain open and not vacated.

What happens next: the applicant must submit full site plans, civil engineering and stormwater documents and secure building permits through the city; any material changes from the approved rezoning or site plan will require further council or planning commission review.","The council approved rezoning of a property near Green Meadow from a single‑family district to a commercial district to allow construction of a roughly 47,552‑square‑foot basketball training facility. Applicant said the use will provide training, leagues and camps; staff noted the planning commission recommended approval.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6623899,"Council adds e‑bikes to parks and multi‑use trail rules, limits speed to 15 mph",229,4037000,4266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42&start=4037&end=4266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769412-e758275d286fa677b58bc2d08f5b6e42/thumbnail_4037000.jpg","/articles/6623899/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/Council-adds-ebikes-to-parks-and-multiuse-trail-rules-limits-speed-to-15-mph","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623899-1e24196537773b753a09f1f0702df98e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176441&Signature=SPrDZOrs3joMg-8UzrkT0NA7RI-wWtjjwpCD8IYgQFsGjvLT4W36WW5HgeFlpWcBb1jH6Sblv0LyTotG9LVL7fFhUNOnmj~bozQJqden6FEtMLDx1zqBCVzSidv~pZm0p5trHc3aTmL03hEh1B1j0jhsErd7jTkzGByZLVleZ5NSE5CB4LJ8mY4tWM5PR2PMRtPXu-QLlT9v93xp0p6bwRfjIbGfFnJAdvOYfxeWh~SQywCc2Ay5OspU0ruhKpjIBnP0sZfaEUgdEFFqIFKtLl~H2W5ngG3TB9Q4UMbBVFS6opD3GEaU9bGCYCTrNbZqqYyQj0pkWFwaVQdGaEqYjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The McAlester City Council voted to amend the city parks and trails code to explicitly allow class 1 and class 2 electric‑assist bicycles on multi‑use trails, set a 15‑mph speed limit on those trails and reaffirm that motorized bicycles and other motor‑driven vehicles remain prohibited from pedestrian‑only paths.

City parks staff explained the ordinance language mirrors state guidance on e‑bike classes and that the city will limit multi‑use trails to lower‑powered e‑bikes for safety. The draft removes electric‑assist bikes from the list of unlawful trail uses where appropriate and separately defines a motorized bicycle (small‑engine, motor‑driven cycles) that remains banned from trails.

Staff noted some technical choices in the draft: a 35‑cubic‑centimeter motor threshold for the motorized bicycle definition was adopted from model language used by other municipalities to help police enforcement, and the ordinance delegates trail speed limits to the council — the adopted text sets 15 mph. Presenters cited guidance from People for Bikes and municipal examples in drafting the definitions.

The council approved the ordinance and separately approved an emergency clause so the rule change is effective immediately. The motion carried by roll call with all members voting in favor.

What it means in practice: class 1 and 2 e‑bikes may operate on authorized multi‑use trails at or below 15 mph; class 3 e‑bikes and motorized bikes remain restricted where the ordinance designates pedestrian‑only use. The parks department and police will use the definitions to inform enforcement and trail signage.","The council amended city code to allow class 1 and 2 electric‑assist bicycles on multi‑use trails, set a 15 mph trail speed limit and clarified motorized‑vehicle prohibitions; the measure passed with an emergency clause.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves TIF parameters for 'Mid McAlester' after heated public hearing on proposed housing

Council signs nonbinding letter to join regional consortium for proposed Atoka energy/data park

Council rezones parcel for basketball training facility; applicant says gym will host leagues, camps

Council adds e‑bikes to parks and multi‑use trail rules, limits speed to 15 mph