Tulsa Board of Adjustment approves three variances, limits vehicle display at North Lewis auto shop
Loading...
Summary
At its July meeting, the City of Tulsa Board of Adjustment approved variances for an auto-repair business to display up to five vehicles for sale, granted a reduced street setback for a narrow corner lot on Owasso, and approved a small rear-yard addition in Irvington; several other items were continued or withdrawn.
The City of Tulsa Board of Adjustment on July 22 approved variances for three separate properties, including a conditional allowance for outdoor vehicle display at an auto-repair business on North Lewis Avenue.
The board approved a variance for BOA Case 23906, allowing outdoor storage and merchandise display within 300 feet of an abutting residential district at 1322 North Lewis Avenue, subject to conditions limiting the number of vehicles for sale to five and requiring compliance with the parking-area design standards of section 55.09. The board also approved BOA Case 23912, reducing the required street setback from 20 feet to 15 feet 2 inches at 2147 North Owasso Avenue, and BOA Case 23915, reducing a required 20-foot rear setback to 8 feet 6 inches at 4737 South Irvington Avenue. Several other items on the agenda were continued or withdrawn for additional submittals.
Board members said they were trying to balance property owners’ ability to use their property with neighborhood impacts and the city’s permitting processes. Chair (name not recorded in the transcript) and several board members said technical, scaled site plans and coordination with permitting departments remain necessary even when the board approves use variances.
At 1322 North Lewis Avenue (BOA 23906), applicant Chastity Norman asked the board for a variance to allow outdoor storage and vehicle display in a location that abuts residential uses. Norman told the board her business operates as an auto-repair shop and that she wants to use existing paved areas for vehicle display and public parking. She said employees park inside a gated area and that the display and public parking would be separate from employee spaces.
Board members raised concerns about the level of site detail in the packet and whether what was proposed could be permitted by other city departments. Several members — including Mr. Wallace and others — said they did not have scaled, dimensioned plans and that the permit center could still require curb cuts, striping, handicap-accessible stalls and other work before any display could be installed. Still, members who voted to approve said the property sits within a mixed commercial–residential corridor and that a limited allowance for display could be justified by the zoning context.
The board’s approval of BOA 23906 included these conditions: display limited to up to five vehicles for sale at a time; compliance with parking-area design standards in section 55.09; and a finding that the hardship arises from the unique zoning context of mixed uses around the property. The motion passed 4–1, with Mr. Wallace the lone dissent.
On BOA 23912 at 2147 North Owasso Avenue, Jessie Stringer of 8 Point Creative presented revised drawings showing the applicant had pushed the building footprint farther from Owasso and that the requested relief was now for a 15-foot-2-inch street setback in the RS-4 district. Stringer explained the lot is narrow and was platted before modern setback rules, leaving a small usable buildable area when both street and lot setbacks are applied. Several board members said the updated colored diagrams and the narrower buildable envelope clarified the hardship; the board voted unanimously to approve the reduced setback per the conceptual plans submitted to the board.
In BOA 23915 (4737 S. Irvington Ave.), attorney Keith D’Alessandro asked for a modest addition on a corner lot and told the board the homeowners needed more living space; the board found the lot shape and corner status created a hardship because corner-lot setback rules greatly reduce available buildable area. The variance to reduce the rear setback to 8 feet 6 inches was approved unanimously.
Other items: BOA cases 23914 (1804 N. Delaware Ave.), 23916 (11525 E. Skelly Drive), 23917 (10641 E. 301st St. S.) and 23913 (4950 N. Mingo Rd E., American Electric Power) were continued to the board’s August 12 meeting to allow applicants to provide revised or additional materials. BOA cases 23904 and 23905 (two addresses on E. 30th Pl. S.) were withdrawn with notice that applicants will resubmit revised plans.
Quotes from the meeting record reflect the board’s practical approach. On the vehicle-display case, a board member said: “We can approve a use, but that doesn't mean that you'll be able to get the permits according to what it is that you've presented.” Applicant Chastity Norman said of the display plan: “This is for display and storage... we're not in any of the parking spots.” On the Owasso setback request, Jessie Stringer said the lot was “pretty narrow” and that the proposed shaded footprint showed the limited buildable area.
The board frequently emphasized that approval of a variance does not substitute for required permitting or site-specific engineering or survey work. Members urged applicants to submit scaled site plans and, when relevant, to confirm utility easements and curb-cut requirements with city permitting staff.
The board adjourned at 2:49 p.m.
Votes at a glance: - BOA 23906 (1322 N Lewis Ave.) — Variance to allow outdoor storage/outdoor merchandise display within 300 feet of an abutting residential district. Approved with conditions (limit 5 vehicles; comply with section 55.09). Vote: 4–1 (Yes: Chair, Miss Stauffer, Mr. Barrientos, Miss Williams; No: Mr. Wallace). - BOA 23912 (2147 N Owasso Ave.) — Variance to reduce street setback from 20 feet to 15 feet 2 inches (RS-4). Approved unanimously (5–0). - BOA 23915 (4737 S Irvington Ave.) — Variance to reduce rear setback from 20 feet to 8 feet 6 inches (RS-3). Approved unanimously (5–0). - Continued: BOA 23913, 23914, 23916, 23917 (all continued to Aug. 12, 2025). - Withdrawn: BOA 23904, 23905 (applicants to resubmit revised plans).
Background: The Board of Adjustment hears requests for variances and special exceptions to the Tulsa zoning code. The board’s decisions are based on standards that include uniqueness of the lot, practical hardships, and whether the variance alters the essential character of the neighborhood. The board noted these cases involved older, mixed-use neighborhoods and corner lots that predate modern zoning rules.
