TMAPC approves Office‑Light rezoning at 100th and Florence after hours of neighborhood opposition

The Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission on Aug. 6 approved an office‑light rezoning and optional development plan for a parcel at the southeast corner of East 100th Street and Florence, a decision that drew hours of public comment from multiple nearby neighborhoods.

Neighbors said the proposal, as recommended by staff, still allows multi‑unit residential uses that they fear would increase traffic, trespassing and pressure on a nearby pond and wetland. "Their intention is to sell lots, and that is very clear," said Sally Reynolds, president of the Chelsea Pond Property Owners Association, summarizing the concern many residents raised that a future buyer — not the current applicant — could build higher‑density housing.

Supporters of the staff recommendation, including planning staff, said the optional development plan (ODP) strikes a balance between neighborhood protections and the city's broader land‑use goals. Staff told the commission the OL (office‑light) designation with the submitted ODP would limit certain high‑impact uses while allowing development that could be office, detached single‑family lots or other lower‑intensity uses. Jeff Stevens, city legal counsel, advised commissioners on the categories of residential uses listed in the plan.

Public comment was extensive: residents from Chelsea Pond, Delaware Point, Riverview Park Estates and other nearby neighborhoods described the 300‑foot community outreach area as largely single‑family housing, noted the presence of a pond and wetland habitat within a few hundred feet of the site, and warned of school and traffic congestion on East 100th. "This area is overwhelmingly residential," said Vinton Narr, president of the Delaware Point HOA. Several speakers described prior vandalism, trash and safety incidents at the pond and said added density would worsen those problems.

Applicant Tony Lombardi, who identified himself as the landowner/developer, said his firm had worked with neighborhood representatives and city councilors on an earlier development plan. Lombardi also told the commission he did not intend to build apartments himself and said the project was intended to create subdividable lots for sale. "We're selling land," he said, adding that negotiating the approvals had already generated significant time and expense.

Commission discussion noted the project's history: the item had been before the commission and city council earlier, and the commission was asked to weigh neighborhood character against a broader need for housing and orderly infill development. Several commissioners said streets such as East 100th are designed for future capacity increases and that infill decisions must also consider citywide housing needs.

After debate, commissioners voted to approve the rezoning and ODP as recommended by staff. The approved staff recommendation includes residential use categories in the permitted uses list; several commissioners said the market and subsequent permitting processes would ultimately determine the project's final form. The commission record shows the approval moves the application to City Council for final action.

The approval does not, by itself, guarantee any particular building plan. If future developers seek uses requiring additional approvals — for example special exceptions — those would go through the appropriate permitting or Board of Adjustment processes. Neighbors said they may continue to press the council and other review bodies to restrict multifamily elements.

The commission meeting record shows the issue generated the largest public turnout of the night's agenda and drew repeated requests for clearer protections for the pond, traffic mitigation and limits on higher‑density residential uses.