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Edmond commission approves batch of plat amendments to strike racist covenants; items go to council
Summary
The Edmond Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a series of plat amendments that formally remove discriminatory restrictions from historic subdivision plats, acting under authority granted by a 2024 state law. Each amended plat will appear before the city council on March 24, 2025.
The Edmond Planning Commission on March 24 approved a series of plat amendments to remove language in historic plats that prohibited people of color from owning property, sending each amended document to the City Council for final action on March 24, 2025.
City planning staff said the amendments are part of an ongoing effort to strike unconstitutional, discriminatory covenants from recorded plats after the Oklahoma Legislature granted municipalities explicit authority to do so. "This is a third in a series of 4 batches of historic plats that include illegal discriminatory restrictions most often related to preventing people of color from owning property within the platted area," staff member Ken said during the hearing.
Why it matters: removing these covenants clears the formal record even though the language has been unenforceable for decades, and it responds to state-level guidance passed last year. Staff cited the passage of a 2024 state law (referenced in the staff presentation as Senate Bill 1617) that gave cities authority to formally amend recorded plats to remove discriminatory restrictions.
The batch on the commission's agenda included plats for Boulevard Heights and multiple final plats in the Capitol View and Cleggern Place editions. Each plat required a separate vote; commissioners approved items 3B through 3J individually, each on a 4-0 vote. Staff told the commission these are public hearings and that the items will be scheduled for City Council consideration on March 24, 2025.
Commissioners conducted public notice and asked whether there were public comments; none were offered for these items. City staff said they would answer any follow-up questions at the council hearing.
Actions recorded: the commission approved each plat amendment (items 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3J) on unanimous 4-0 votes and forwarded them to City Council for final consideration on March 24, 2025.
The City Council is scheduled to consider the amendments at its March 24 meeting; the amendments will not take effect until council action.
