Planning commission recommends East Tulsa business improvement district; 30‑day protest window opens

The City of Wauwatosa Planning Commission on Sept. 8 voted unanimously to recommend creation of a Business Improvement District (BID) along North Avenue in East Tulsa, forwarding the proposed district designation and an initial operating plan to the Common Council for final consideration on Oct. 28, 2025.

The proposed BID boundary runs generally from North 76th (east) to Wauwatosa Avenue (west) along North Avenue; staff and proponents described a contiguous district that includes commercial parcels along the corridor. City staff explained the statutory process: the Planning Commission’s action is a recommendation and the Common Council makes the final decision; after the commission action there is a 30‑day window during which property owners representing more than 40% of the assessed value may file a protest petition, which would block the BID from moving forward.

Anna Jarecki, who said she organized local business owners to pursue the district under the name North Avenue Business District (NABA), presented the BID operating plan and described an estimated annual budget and assessment structure. Jarecki said the initial boundary would include 106 parcels and that the proposal sets an assessment at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value with a minimum annual contribution of $550 and a maximum of $5,000. Jarecki presented an estimated 2026 budget figure; the operating plan document submitted with the proposal lists an estimated annual budget of approximately $144,104 (the meeting presentation included a typographical error that reported the figure as $144,104,000). She said the funds would supplement, not replace, city services and that the BID would hire a part‑time director as an independent contractor and establish a board with business owners, building owners and community members.

Proponents strongly favored the BID at the public hearing. Business owner Abby Gilman said large volunteer efforts that generate events are exhausting and a BID would provide paid staff and a structure to sustain marketing and programming. “It is a way to support each other, to stop operating in silos, and to start building shared resources, shared goals, and shared wins,” Gilman said. Tourism coordinator Beth Gleasing told the commission that tourism investment has already supported the North Avenue Mural Arts District and that a BID could amplify arts‑focused tourism and increase visitation.

Opposition testimony centered on cost and governance. Property owner Ed Katerski said he does much of his own building maintenance and opposed paying assessments to a new administrative entity. Eric Anderson, another opponent, argued that North Avenue has improved over recent years and questioned whether the statutory petition requirement was satisfied; staff later noted the petition submitted with the application included five property owners and that the packet is available online. Carrie Bartlett, representing the Lutheran Home, described the facility’s finances and said an assessment at the maximum level would present an undue burden; during the meeting staff and commissioners discussed whether tax‑exempt parcels or specific large nonprofit properties could be excluded from the assessment area.

Commission discussion touched on boundaries, the inclusion of the Lutheran Home parcel, and whether the city should voluntarily include public parcels within the contiguous district area. Staff confirmed that city‑owned and exclusively residential tax‑exempt properties do not pay BID assessments because assessments are collected via property tax bills; staff also clarified that the Lutheran Home pays property taxes and therefore would be subject to assessment unless the district boundary was amended to exclude that parcel. Commissioners debated whether to amend the boundary to carve out the Lutheran Home property; the final motion that carried was to recommend the BID and the initial operating plan to the Common Council without a boundary amendment. The chair called the vote and it passed unanimously.

Next steps and deadlines: The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be presented to the Common Council on Oct. 28, 2025. Following state statute, property owners have 30 days after the commission action to file a protest petition; if property owners representing more than 40% of the assessed valuation of parcels in the proposed BID file such a petition, the proposal would not move forward.

Why it matters: Proponents said a BID would fund safety, cleanliness, placemaking, marketing and district events and provide staff capacity to sustain growth on North Avenue. Opponents said assessments could be burdensome for small property owners and nonprofits and expressed concern about governance and the risk of rising rents.

Provenance: The public hearing and applicant presentation begin in the transcript where the BID items are introduced and Anna Jarecki presents the operating plan; the commission’s final vote and the chair’s announcement of unanimous passage are recorded at the close of the meeting.