Tulsa planning commission approves Florence Park neighborhood character overlay, adds porch-entry amendment

The Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission voted to approve Zoning Code Amendment ZCA 35, a neighborhood character overlay (NCO) for the Florence Park area, and forwarded the ordinance to the City Council with a staff‑drafted amendment requiring that a building’s primary entrance be entered through the required front porch or stoop and that corner‑lot entrances be located on the street with the least frontage.

The overlay is intended to manage infill and teardowns by regulating building form rather than use. It would limit building height to 30 feet and two stories, require a minimum 12:12 roof pitch, set a maximum driveway width (adopted at 12 feet after neighborhood input), require street‑facing porches or stoops, and impose a maximum building width and a build‑to zone so facades are aligned with existing neighborhood street setbacks. The proposal also allows accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right.

Staff planning presentations said the overlay is modeled on an earlier Renaissance NCO and is meant to preserve scale and character where narrow lots and masonry homes predominate. Austin (Tulsa planning staff) told commissioners the overlay was developed after neighborhood meetings and two open houses; staff recommended approval with adjustments requested during the meeting. Nathan (Tulsa planning staff) described the technical standards and noted the overlay would be codified into the zoning code so standards could be enforced at plan review rather than through a separate commission process.

Public commenters raised specific concerns about the ADU allowance and about private restrictive covenants in a portion of the neighborhood. Mark Wilkinson spoke on behalf of resident Debbie Deibert, who is pursuing litigation over a privately recorded covenant and an ADU on her lot; Wilkinson said the litigation has cost the owner substantial legal fees and warned that homeowners who rely on private covenants may face similar disputes in future. Wilkinson and other speakers asked that the commission consider the effect of allowing ADUs by right where century‑old private restrictions exist.

Staff replied that the city does not enforce private covenants; Austin and Nathan said the zoning code and the NCO would not nullify private contracts and that residents with covenants could still pursue private legal remedies. Commissioners discussed code enforcement procedures and whether the overlay’s objective standards would be administrable at plan review rather than through a separate commission. Commissioner Walker moved approval with the written change to Section 20‑100‑B item 7 (porch/stoop/entrance language); Commissioner Humphrey seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote and the amendment to send the ordinance to city council was approved.

Commissioners emphasized that the overlay addresses form and scale (height, roof pitch, driveway width and garage setbacks) but does not replace historic preservation review or prohibit demolition. Staff said property owners will still be able to seek variances or special exceptions through the Board of Adjustment.

The commission’s action forwards the proposed zoning code language and the map amendment process will follow; staff said property owners in the overlay boundary will receive notice when the map item is scheduled for City Council review. The commission’s approval is a policy step; the change must be adopted by ordinance at city council to become law.

Sources: public hearing remarks and staff presentations at the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission meeting.