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Board denies special-exception request for temporary ‘hardship’ trailer in Bowman Ranch
Summary
The Oklahoma County Board of Adjustment denied a request to allow an additional trailer on a Bowman Ranch lot under a zoning ‘medical hardship’ / special-exception standard; staff told the applicants they would need to remove the unit or pursue other options and noted the county typically allows 30 days to come into compliance.
The Oklahoma County Board of Adjustment denied a request for a special exception that would allow an additional manufactured trailer on a Bowman Ranch lot under the county’s hardship provisions. The denial followed testimony from the property owner’s representative and lengthy staff review of how the county’s medical-hardship and special-exception rules apply.
The applicants requested permission to retain a second trailer on the property, describing family hardship, recent living-in-a-camper arrangements and immediate needs related to custody and family circumstances. Richard Romero, representing the Romero family, described the situation and told the board, “This is our lifeline. This is all we have for both of us, really.” Romero and a nearby neighbor also discussed drainage work they said had been performed to address complaints.
County planning staff and the county engineer questioned whether the circumstance met the county’s medical-hardship standard. Staff explained the county’s applicable zoning provision—Article 4, Section 8, medical hardship special exception—requires the hardship to stem from a physical or mental condition of the principal, and that the special exception is not to be granted for parties not related by blood or marriage unless the statutory requirements are otherwise met. Staff also noted the county’s enforcement practice: if an issue is found, staff notify property owners, give time to comply (typically 30 days) and escalate to citation and court only if compliance does not occur.
Board members examined whether the applicants had applied under the correct statutory framework. The applicant referenced “Title 19 863,” and staff clarified that the county does not administer that statute; Oklahoma County follows a different Title 19 provision for its zoning procedures. The board concluded that the application did not meet the county’s medical-hardship standard and voted to deny the request. After the motion to deny, both recorded board votes were “Aye.”
Staff told the applicants the usual options following denial: remove the additional structure or pursue any available appeal or reapplication; staff said the county normally allows a 30-day compliance period before citation proceedings would be considered. The board did not grant a temporary 60-day exemption that was later requested during public remarks.
The board’s decision is limited to the special-exception request; no additional penalties were applied at the hearing. If the applicants do not remove the unit within any compliance period set by staff, the county indicated its next steps would be enforcement through citation and court proceedings.
