Owasso staff seek to vacate and replat Cornerstone Hardware property to allow store expansion

Alexa Beam, a city staff member, told the Owasso City Council on a joint meeting night that the owner of Cornerstone (Ace) Hardware has applied to vacate the 2013 final plat and file a new final plat to consolidate two lots at 11550 North 129th East Avenue.

The proposal would combine Lot 1 (which contains the existing hardware store) and the vacant Lot 2 into a single lot, eliminate a 25-foot mutual access easement that runs along the old lot line, and slightly enlarge a detention easement "by, like, maybe 10 square feet," Beam said. She said the property is roughly 6.55 acres, is zoned commercial shopping and is designated for future commercial uses in the Grow Owasso 2035 land-use plan. Beam said the original final plat had been approved by the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission in March 2013 under plat number 6468 and the property was annexed into the city in August 2013 under ordinance 10 26.

Why it matters: consolidating the lots would prevent a building or an expansion from encroaching on a platted lot line or access easement and would simplify permitting, Beam said. "It basically just cleans up the title," she said, and would avoid permitting issues if the owner seeks to expand the building in a way that would cross the previous lot line.

Supporting details: Beam said the applicant owns both lots and intends to retain the two existing access points shown on the plat; the southernmost access off 129th would likely be removed. Perimeter utility easements from the original plat would remain to preserve service. Beam told the council that the Planning Commission reviewed both the vacation and the proposed replat at its regular meeting the night before and "did vote 5-0 to recommend approval of both. And there were no comments or concerns from any citizens." She said the items would be presented separately at next week's council meeting unless major issues arise.

What the council asked and staff response: Council members asked whether utilities would be affected; Beam said the site uses city sewer and "Washington rule for water" and that staff understood no utilities would be affected and perimeter easements were being preserved. Council members also asked whether construction had originally occurred under county standards; Beam said the site was developed under county guidelines before annexation and that any new site plan or civil plans would be reviewed by the city's technical advisory committee and public works engineering division.

Next steps: Beam said the two matters (plat vacation and new final plat) will be brought to the council as two separate agenda items at next week's meeting for formal action.