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Council hears proposal to declare Robin Park surplus; members seek conditional language on a county land swap
Summary
City staff presented a resolution to abandon the park use of a roughly seven-acre parcel known as Robin Park and declare it surplus. Councilors asked staff to add language to preserve council authority and to condition surplus on completion of a transfer or swap with Tulsa County.
City staff presented a draft resolution to abandon the city park use of a parcel known as Robin Park, 2646 East 60th Street North, and to declare the land surplus, and councilors asked for stronger, conditional language tying any surplus to a completed transfer or swap with Tulsa County.
Parks staff said the city acquired the property in 1957; the parcel is roughly seven acres, contains an old baseball diamond and a small parking area, and is adjacent to O—Brien Park. The parks board recommended the property be considered for surplus to enable discussions with Tulsa County about a potential swap or acquisition to expand county functions. Staff said no final written agreement exists and that the county and city have only discussed the concept to date.
During the council—s discussion, members raised procedural and authority concerns. Multiple councilors said if the council declares the property surplus and the county transaction falls through, the resolution should include a mechanism for the council to retain authority or to restore park use. One councilor said that once property is declared surplus, administration can dispose of it without further council input unless the council specifically conditions the surplus. Another said the administration could return to the council to reinstate park property, but preferred explicit language in the resolution to avoid ambiguity.
Staff acknowledged those concerns and said they would draft alternative language to condition the surplus on the closing of a transfer or to require the administration to return to the council if negotiations fail. No final council vote on the resolution was recorded in the transcript excerpt; staff said they would work on the form language before the item returns for council consideration.
The discussion clarified several factual points raised by councilors: the parcel was conveyed to the city in 1957 with an expectation that a school might be built (which did not occur), the site has had limited park amenities, and the parks board—s action is a recommendation that requires council action to complete any abandonment or disposition.
