Planning Commission splits with applicant on fenestration while recommending downtown CCPUD amendments for 223 and 227 West Main

The Norman Planning Commission on May 1 voted to recommend two Center City Planned Unit Development (CCPUD) amendments for contiguous parcels at 223 West Main Street and 227 West Main Street, forwarding both to City Council after separate motions.

For 223 West Main (O-2425-33), applicants propose a two-story, ~4,000-square-foot mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor and eight residential units (three on the ground floor rear and five above). Staff said the proposal generally meets the Center City Form Based Code goals by creating pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development, and the applicant requested several CCPUD variances: reduced clear height (from 15 feet to 12 feet for the commercial portion and 10 feet for the rear residential portion), reduced ground-floor fenestration (from the code's 50% to approximately 43% to accommodate a front stairwell and structural elements), additional awning and side signage beyond the base code, and an exemption from some landscaping/open-space standards typical for downtown lots.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on the fenestration reduction and clear height. Commissioner Brewer said the fenestration requirement is important for Main Street storefront vitality and said she would not support approving the reduction; she proposed a motion to recommend approval while retaining the 50% ground-floor fenestration requirement. The commission adopted that motion 7-1 with one abstention.

Applicant representative Gunner Joyce said the fenestration change was driven by design choices: a front stairwell to separate residential access from retail and structural elements that the developer preferred to screen with brick rather than glass. Joyce and staff also explained the clear-height request reflects construction practices and existing adjacent building heights; shorter clear heights (12 feet) are common in nearby buildings and can avoid triggering higher-cost construction methods required at 15 feet.

For 227 West Main (O-2425-34), the request removes Lots 12'14 from the existing CCPUD and places them in a revised CCPUD to accommodate a parking lot and to retain the existing screening fence with seven new parking stalls, including one angled accessible stall. Staff noted potential conflict for the accessible angled stall but said changes to striping could be handled administratively unless a major site redevelopment is proposed. Commissioners approved the 227 West Main amendment 8-0 with one abstention.

Both items were forwarded with staff recommendations to the City Council. Commissioners and applicants discussed the broader possibility of amending the Center City Form Based Code on clear-height language; several commissioners suggested a code amendment or ad hoc review to address recurring requests to vary the 15-foot clear-height standard.