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Council approves Saint James Park PUD and related plats after neighbors raise dam and drainage concerns
Summary
The council approved a PUD for the Saint James Park addition and multiple preliminary plats after the applicant and staff described drainage design; Cedar Lake Estates residents urged the city to consider cumulative runoff impacts on a privately maintained dam that previously required $56,000 in repairs.
The Norman City Council on Sept. 23 approved an ordinance rezoning a tract near Classen Boulevard and Cedar Lane to a planned unit development (PUD) for the Saint James Park addition and approved companion preliminary plats for the park addition and nearby Saint James Center Section 2.
Sean Reger, presenting for the applicant, described the project as an extension of the Saint James neighborhood with two distinct subareas: Area 1 to match existing single‑family R‑1 character and Area 2 with smaller lots (roughly 3,500 square feet) to increase housing variety. The overall preliminary plat proposes about 373 single‑family lots and includes a dedicated park space and stormwater detention areas.
Cedar Lake Estates residents raised concerns about stormwater and downstream impacts on a privately maintained dam. Diana Hetzel, president of Cedar Lake Estates HOA, told the council the neighborhood’s lake holds about 14,500,000 gallons and is retained by a 26‑foot earthen dam with a single 24‑inch outlet pipe. She said prior inspections identified damage in 2017 and homeowners spent more than $56,000 on repairs; that figure was cited as the HOA’s cost to strengthen the dam to handle increased runoff.
Engineering staff and the applicant said the development’s drainage plan was designed to meet city stormwater engineering criteria and reduce historic peak flows to downstream systems. Anthony Ham (Craft and Toll) told the council the project originally drained about 21 acres to the east; the design reduces the eastward drainage footprint by approximately six acres and organizes runoff to four lower points to avoid overloading single outlets. Public Works Director Scott Sturtz said the city evaluated the dam’s risk and required an inundation analysis during review; staff concluded the dam was not classified as a high‑hazard dam after previous remediation work.
Councilors also discussed connectivity and neighborhood access; the approved PUD includes a new secondary entrance for the adjoining South Lake neighborhood off Cedar Lane and a public park site dedicated with the plat. Planning staff and the applicant noted the PUD incorporated a floor amendment to allow a reduced front yard setback in the smaller‑lot Area 2; planning commission had recommended unanimous approval.
All land‑use items tied to the Saint James project passed unanimously.
The council’s action now moves the development to subsequent engineering and permitting steps, including final plat review and building permits where further site‑level stormwater calculations and FAA/height reviews (if relevant) will be required.
