Council approves Hollabrook Square phases 1 and 2; traffic study flags possible future ODOT requirements

The City of Tuttle City Council unanimously approved the preliminary plats and construction plans for Hollabrook Square Phase 1 and Phase 2 (petitioned by Grubbs Consulting) during the meeting.

Why it matters: Staff and the applicant described how the two preliminary plats were submitted separately so the developer can choose to build one phase or both depending on final pricing; the preliminary plats include shared common areas, a detention pond and a playground. A traffic impact analysis (TIA) submitted with the applications identifies existing service-level issues at the intersection of Highway 37 and Highway 4 and recommends possible future improvements — including a traffic signal at Hollowbrook and Highway 4 and potential right-turn lane requirements on state highways — that would require Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) approval and could trigger shared-cost development agreements.

Preliminary-plat details: Staff and the developer said Phase 1 is shown as 64 lots on about 21.68–21.8 acres in staff materials; Phase 2 is shown as 51 lots on roughly 21.8 acres in the application materials. The applicants explained those numbers reflect how the sketch plat split the overall area; staff noted the sketch for the entire development previously showed about 115 lots on approximately 28.5 acres. The developer said the only substantive change from the sketch plat to the preliminary plat was a slightly larger common area to accommodate a detention pond and an on-site playground.

Traffic and ODOT approvals: Sean, a city staff member, told councilmembers he had just received the TIA and would schedule a follow-up review with the city’s engineers. Staff summarized the TIA’s findings: the intersection of Highway 37 and Highway 4 already operates below desirable service levels, and the TIA recommends future mitigation measures. The study also referenced a newer ODOT practice that requires consideration of right-turn lanes at state-highway driveway intersections. Staff cautioned that these recommended improvements are not required immediately but could be required later in the development lifecycle if traffic thresholds are met; ODOT must approve curb cuts into state highways and can deny driveway locations. A staff member said driveway/curb-cut permit applications have been submitted and staff will coordinate with ODOT before construction. The council discussed that if ODOT were to refuse a proposed curb cut, the developer would need to change driveway locations and possibly amend plans.

Access and commercial frontage: The developer said the commercial frontage portion of the site is intended to have a limited number of driveways and that the TIA asked the consultant to consider only two drives along the commercial frontage; cross-access between commercial lots was discussed as a typical mitigation if multiple retailers request curb access.

Formal action: Council approved the items on roll-call votes. For Phase 1 (PC 20 25 dash 11 a) and Phase 2 (PC 20 25 dash 11 b) the recorded votes were: Mister Watson — yes; Miss Heights — yes; Vice Mayor Hughes — yes.

What’s next: Staff will review the TIA in detail with city engineers and coordinate with ODOT about driveway permits. Any required off-site improvements or section-line road upgrades would be handled through future development agreements and potentially funded in part by developer impact fees or shared-cost arrangements.