Council approves TIF parameters for 'Mid McAlester' after heated public hearing on proposed housing

The McAlester City Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday creating Increment District No. 2 — the TIF package for the Mid McAlester development — after a public hearing in which nearby residents pressed the developer and city staff on traffic, drainage, sewer capacity and density.

Developer Curtis Woods presented a site plan that he said would include a mix of shops and restaurants plus roughly 28 housing units on the nine-acre parcel. Woods described design changes intended to increase walkability, close one entrance on Tanglewood and add sidewalks and walking paths to connect the housing to nearby retail.

The nut graf: council action at the meeting did not approve final site plans or construction permits. Instead the ordinance sets the tax-increment financing parameters that the city would make available to a developer who later signs a development agreement; city staff and outside counsel repeatedly told the audience that detailed site plans, stormwater and building permits still must clear planning, engineering and permits before any dirt is moved.

Residents and neighbors…