Jenks Aquarium Authority approves $400,000 for shark-holding infrastructure, asks council to exclude aquarium campus from UDOplace-of-assembly change

The Jenks Aquarium Authority on March 25 approved a $400,000 supplemental appropriation for interior construction work on the aquarium's large-animal holding facility and voted to recommend the City Council exempt the Aquarium Campus from a proposed change to the city's Unified Development Ordinance that would add "place of assembly" uses to Riverfront Tourist Commercial (RTC) zoning.

The authority approved Resolution 93 to move $400,000 from fund balance into the Aquarium Authority Capital Improvements Building and Improvements Fund to complete major infrastructure work this fiscal year, authority members said. Authority members then debated the UDO change and voted to ask the council to remove the aquarium campus from that proposed amendment.

The supplemental appropriation will fund phase one of the aquarium's interior construction for the large-animal holding system, according to an operations briefing at the meeting. Aquarium staff said the work will include waterproofing the main concrete tank (the shark exhibit), repairing or replacing the outside saltwater mixing vault, installing acrylic window panels for the exhibit, and upgraded filtration and deaeration systems that serve both saltwater and freshwater tanks. Staff said the waterproofing of the large (approximately 100,000-gallon) shark tank and associated filtration work must be completed before additional fiberglass tanks are installed.

"So those pieces are large pieces that really need to go in before the other fiberglass tanks go in," an aquarium staff member said during the presentation. The authority was told the total project budget is roughly $1.3 million and that some costs will be budgeted in the next fiscal year when the remainder of the work is completed.

On the UDO question, the authority discussed a proposed citywide amendment that would allow "place of assembly" uses in RTC-zoned parcels. Staff and trustees said they support development generally but are concerned the change could allow future users to claim an assembly right without negotiating shared-parking or other campus impacts with the aquarium and other campus property owners. The authority voted to recommend that the city council exclude the Aquarium Campus from the UDO change and to preserve the campus's existing land-use controls, while allowing the UDO change to proceed elsewhere in the RTC.

"My concern is that this proposed UDO change could be a backdoor pathway for basically our parking to get accessed by a party without reaching an agreement with us," a trustee said. Authority members said the aquarium is grandfathered under current rules but that future interpretations could differ.

The motion asking the council to exempt the Aquarium Campus passed on a recorded vote. Authority members said they would provide suggested language to council staff and that authority representatives could appear at council when the council considers the UDO amendment.

The authority also received a facilities and events update reporting membership sales were up about 31 percent year-over-year for the quarter, award recognition for sustainability, recent and upcoming public events, and construction progress on the aquarium's Shark Research Center and several small exhibits. Staff reported a small, recently plugged leak in the shark tunnel and said they have a remediation plan if leaks reappear.

The authority's action on the appropriation and the recommendation to council are advisory for the UDO matter but formally authorizes the aquarium to begin the interior construction described in Resolution 93.

The authority voted on both items during its March 25 meeting; minutes and staff reports will provide the formal record and project timelines.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 93 (supplemental appropriation, $400,000) — Motion approved; recorded yes votes reported. (See actions[] for full tally.) - Recommendation on UDO place-of-assembly amendment — Motion approved to recommend that the City Council exclude the Aquarium Campus from the proposed UDO change. The authority said it will deliver proposed exclusion language to the council and may present at council when the item is considered.

Ending: Authority staff said remaining project costs will be budgeted in the next fiscal year and that staff will return with updates as construction proceeds.