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Committee reviews rezoning request for Yale/Winston site to allow 36 apartments
Summary
The Urban Economic Development Committee on June 4 discussed rezoning application Z7810 to change nearly 3 acres at 30 First Street South and South Winston Avenue to RM‑3 zoning to permit an apartment development the planning office described as about 36 units.
The Urban Economic Development Committee on June 4 discussed rezoning application Z7810, which would change nearly 3 acres at 30 First Street South and South Winston Avenue from CS and RS‑3 to RM‑3 to allow an apartment development the planning office described as about 36 units.
Susan Miller of the Planning Office briefed the committee, saying, “the request here is to rezone the entirety, which is almost 3 acres, to RM‑3 for apartments.” She said the site currently contains a mix of small commercial lots and several single‑family houses that would be removed under the concept plan. Miller told the committee the concept plan is preliminary and could change with permitting but that the land‑use designation is consistent with the city’s plan.
The Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission recommended approval 9–0 at its hearing, Miller said, and the applicant and neighbors met before the commission. Councilor Busch said the same developer has rehabilitated nearby apartment properties and that past investments had reduced nuisance activity on nearby blocks. Busch noted the project’s proximity to the VA and said developers expect to market to “mid‑level young professionals” with easy access to work and shopping.
Councilor Doctor Ray and others raised affordability and voucher issues during the discussion. Doctor Ray said Section 8 housing helps people avoid homelessness and warned of a coming shortfall for voucher holders; he urged leaders to “educate” the public and avoid conflating vouchers with substandard housing. Miller and other speakers emphasized the application was a zoning request; specific rental programs or tenant mix were not mandated by the rezoning discussion.
On schedule and next steps: Miller said infrastructure capacity for water and sewer has been discussed with the developer team and that the project’s timing depends on when the applicant submits permits. Committee members estimated permitting and construction steps could take “24 to 36 months” depending on when applications are complete.
Formal action: the Planning Commission recommended approval (TMAPC 9–0). The committee discussed the request but a final council vote on Z7810 was not recorded on the meeting transcript.
Why this matters: the rezoning would change a small commercial/residential corridor into higher‑density residential, adding apartments in Council District 9 and prompting neighborhood concerns about traffic and the interaction between new market‑rate units and subsidized housing programs.
What reporters should watch next: look for the applicant’s formal permit submissions and the City Council hearing schedule; if a formal rezoning ordinance is heard by the council, staff reports and any conditions attached to approval will be public records.
