The Oklahoma City Board of Adjustment on June 5 approved multiple zoning variances and granted most of the home‑sharing special exceptions on its agenda while denying one short‑term rental application after neighbors described repeated late‑night disturbances.

The board approved technical variances for an industrial site at 715 E. Grand Boulevard and several small infill and PUD cleanup requests (cases 15951, 15952 and 15953). It also granted more than a dozen home‑sharing special exceptions with standardized conditions—quiet hours, guest limits, and vehicle limits intended to address neighborhood concerns. One application, for 10908 N. McKinley Avenue (case 15934), was denied after sustained testimony from neighbors describing repeated loud parties and alleged retaliatory behavior by the operator’s representatives.

Why it matters: The meeting underscored two recurring tensions in Oklahoma City planning: adjusting development standards in industrial and downtown districts to enable specific projects, and balancing short‑term rental activity with neighborhood quality‑of‑life and enforcement concerns. Several approvals included explicit operating limits the board used to manage those neighborhood impacts.

Key outcomes

- Denial: Case 15934 (Rancho Bueno LLC, 10908 N. McKinley Ave.) — Denied after neighbors described repeated late‑night parties, noise calls and other disturbances. Neighbor Michael (Mike) Ortiz told the board, “If we knew everything that we knew today, we would not have purchased our home,” and said his family had called the city three times about noise. The board voted to deny the special exception.

- Approvals with standard conditions: The board approved variances and a large group of home‑sharing applications. Conditions commonly imposed by the board included: quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. (some properties set 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.), maximum guest counts tied to number of bedrooms (typical limits: two people per bedroom, plus an agreed‑upon allowance), limits on vehicles (typically 2–4 cars depending on driveway/garage capacity; some larger properties approved more), no on‑street parking during quiet hours, and trial terms of one to three years. Examples:
- Case 15951 (variance to building height, parking and screening at 715 E. Grand Blvd.) — Approved; board found variance met requirements given existing topography and adjacent city‑owned detention land.
- Case 15952 (variances to front‑yard setback, 510–524 S. Cemetery Rd.) — Approved; largest encroachment about 7 inches and the PUD amendment was already processed.
- Case 15953 (downtown traditional district minimum height and building‑to‑right‑of‑way requirements) — Approved with time limit tied to expected infill through Dec. 31, 2030.
- Case 15955 (home sharing, 1223 NW 20 1st St., Deborah and Mark Demoss) — Approved with modifications: maximum guests 7, term 1 year, 3‑car maximum, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., and no on‑street parking during quiet hours. Applicant Deborah Demoss said the permit will let the family split time between states and occasionally host guests.
- Case 15956 (home sharing, 3609 NW 20 6th St., Jonathan Reyes) — Approved with modifications: maximum guests 4, term 1 year, 3‑car maximum, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., no on‑street parking during quiet hours; the applicant said he will contact a written protestor to address concerns.
- Case 15917–15922 (six units at 1401 NW 20 4th Street, operator Jay Gallogly) — The board renewed each unit’s special exception with consistent conditions: quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., 2‑car maximum and a 3‑year term (guest counts varied by unit: some approved for 6 guests, some for 7 where two queens were shown in the layout).
- Case 15930 (1400 NW 80 8th St., manager Libby Ross for Brandon Kawuchi) — Approved with 4‑car maximum, no on‑street parking during quiet hours and a 1‑year renewal term.
- Case 15937 (8601 Hilltop Lane, OKC Cabin Home LLC) — Approved for a larger vacation style property: maximum guests 14, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., vehicle limit increased to 10 (all to be parked on site), with no on‑street parking during quiet hours; term 3 years.
- A sample of other approvals: 15938 (My Healing Home LLC) approved with 4 guests, 3‑car max, 1‑year term; 15957, 15958, 15959, 15932, 15944 and 15933 were all approved with comparable, site‑specific guest and parking limits and one‑ to three‑year terms as recorded on the public record.

Continued items and enforcement follow‑up

- The board continued a block of applications tied to one property manager/operator to the July 17 meeting (cases 15940, 15941, 15942, 15943, 15945, 15946, 15947, 15948 and 15949). Several neighbors and board members said the repeated pattern of complaints tied to that manager merited more time to collect records and written complaints; the board directed staff to supply occupancy and enforcement records to members before the continuance.

Public testimony and enforcement context

Neighbors provided the meeting’s most detailed testimony in two clusters. At the 10908 N. McKinley Avenue hearing, neighbor Michael Ortiz described multiple late‑night incidents, heavy drinking and “truly excessive noise” from backyard parties; he said his family “saw guests performing indecent acts in the backyard,” and the board ultimately denied that permit. In a separate and broader protest about one operator’s multiple properties, residents Brian Ted Jones and Jennifer Boyle urged the board to deny or closely scrutinize renewals, saying that they had documented alleged false filings and retaliatory behavior by the operator in prior proceedings. Jones told the board, “You simply cannot trust these men because they have proven to you you cannot trust them,” and presented documents obtained via public records requests about prior licensing and affidavit filings.

Applicants and managers frequently told the board they had changed management or would tighten controls, and several said they had recently ended contracts with prior property managers after learning of complaints. The board repeatedly advised neighbors to file action‑center reports and written protests so staff and the city’s enforcement teams have a paper trail.

What comes next

The board scheduled continued hearings for the cluster of properties tied to a single manager on July 17, 2025, and set one continued hearing for Dec. 4, 2025, for another property where the owner asked more time to wind down operations. Cases denied or continued will return to the agenda with any additional enforcement records or updated management plans.

The meeting demonstrates the board’s current approach: allow many short‑term rentals to operate under explicit conditions (guest caps, quiet hours, vehicle limits and trial terms), deny where the record shows significant neighborhood harm, and continue cases where the board requests more enforcement documentation.

(See “Votes at a glance” below for a case‑by‑case list of motions, conditions and outcomes.)

Votes at a glance

A consolidated list of formal actions recorded at the meeting (case number, short description, board motion/conditions, outcome):

- Case 15951 — Variance (building height, parking, screening), 715 E. Grand Blvd.; motion to approve; outcome: approved.
- Case 15952 — Variance (front yard setback), 510–524 S. Cemetery Rd.; motion to approve; outcome: approved.
- Case 15953 — Variance (DTD minimum height & placement), 716 NW 6th St.; motion to approve; outcome: approved (time‑limited per staff recommendation).
- Case 15955 — Home sharing (1223 NW 20 1st St., Deborah & Mark Demoss); approved with modifications: max guests 7, term 1 year, max 3 cars, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., no on‑street parking during quiet hours.
- Case 15956 — Home sharing (3609 NW 20 6th St., Jonathan Reyes); approved with modifications: max guests 4, term 1 year, 3‑car max, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., no on‑street parking during quiet hours; application noted one written protest.
- Cases 15917–15922 — Six units at 1401 NW 20 4th St. (Jay Gallogly) — each renewed with modifications: quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., 2‑car maximum, 3‑year term; guest counts set per unit (most 6; two upstairs units allowed 7 based on bed layout).
- Case 15930 — Home sharing renewal (1400 NW 80 8th St., manager Libby Ross) — approved with 4‑car max, no on‑street parking during quiet hours, term 1 year.
- Case 15950 — Home sharing (new, Camelot Accommodations LLC) — approved: 7 guests, 4‑car maximum, no on‑street parking during quiet hours, term 1 year.
- Case 15934 — Home sharing (Rancho Bueno LLC, 10908 N. McKinley Ave.) — denied after neighbor protests and testimony describing repeated noise and disturbance.
- Cases 15940, 15941, 15942, 15943, 15945, 15946, 15947, 15948, 15949 — Applications by the same operator/manager (various addresses) — continued to July 17, 2025 for additional documentation and enforcement history.
- Case 15938 — Home sharing (3004 NW 43rd? — My Healing Home LLC) — approved: max guests 4, term 1 year, 3‑car max, no on‑street parking during quiet hours.
- Case 15957 — Home sharing (Cynthia Wilson via iPremier Homes) — approved: max guests 6, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., 4‑car max (2 garage/2 parking), no on‑street parking during quiet hours, term 1 year.
- Case 15958 — Renewal (8620 NW 90th St., iPremier Homes) — approved for 3 years with standard conditions (6 guests, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., 4‑car max, no on‑street parking).
- Case 15959 — New application (525 NW 130th St., iPremier Homes) — approved: 6 guests, quiet hours 9–8, 4‑car max (2 in garage/2 in drive), no on‑street parking, term 1 year.
- Case 15932 — Home sharing (1042 Hanger Dr.) — approved: max guests 6, quiet hours 9–8, 2‑car max, term 1 year.
- Case 15944 — Home sharing (3232 SW 41st St.) — approved: max guests 6, quiet hours 8 p.m.–8 a.m. (site specific), 2‑car max, no on‑street parking during quiet hours, term 1 year.
- Case 15933 — Renewal (704 NW 20 7th St.) — approved: max guests 4, quiet hours 9–8, 2‑car max, no on‑street parking, term 3 years.
- Case 15935 — Rancho Bueno LLC (4205 Tamaras Dr.) — applicant asked for a continuance to July 17 (board continued matter); applicant indicated intent to withdraw the application after the current guest checkout.
- Case 15936 — Rancho Bueno LLC (7300 NW 13th St.) — continued to Dec. 4, 2025 at the applicant’s request so current guests can complete reservations and management can finalize actions; applicant said they will not operate as Airbnb after June 15 and will withdraw if operations are ended.
- Case 15887 — Home sharing (3008 N. Robinson Ave., Stan Williamson) — approved: max guests 4, quiet hours 9–8, 3‑car max, no on‑street parking, term 1 year.
- Case 15937 — OKC Cabin Home LLC (8601 Hilltop Ln.) — approved: max guests 14, quiet hours 9–8, 10‑car max (onsite), no on‑street parking during quiet hours, term 3 years.
- Officer elections — The board nominated and elected a chair and vice chair (vice chair nominated as “Don” on the record); staff confirmed no further business and adjourned the meeting.

Speakers quoted in the record (selected)

- Michael (Mike) Ortiz — Neighbor and protester (10909 N. Brower Ave.): “If we knew everything that we knew today, we would not have purchased our home.”
- Deborah Demoss — Applicant, case 15955: described family reasons for owning the property and said the permit would allow shared use when she is out of state.
- Brian Ted Jones and Jennifer Boyle — Neighbors who testified about prior disputes with one manager/operator and presented public‑records materials alleging false affidavits and retaliatory behavior.

What the board asked of staff

The board directed staff to assemble enforcement and occupancy records tied to the cluster of properties managed by the operator whose cases were continued and to provide those records to members before the July 17, 2025 continued hearing. Members repeatedly advised neighbors to file action‑center complaints and to submit written protests to create an enforceable record.

Ending

The board’s approach at this meeting favored case‑by‑case conditions (quiet hours, guest and parking limits, trial terms) for allowing short‑term rentals while using continuances and denial where the public record indicated repeated, unaddressed neighborhood impacts. The cluster of continued cases returns July 17; another continued matter is set for Dec. 4, 2025. Staff said council deferred a proposed fee increase for home‑sharing permits to a later council meeting after public comment earlier in the week.