Owasso council approves library-lofts PUD, alley closure and TIF financing despite public concerns

The Owasso City Council on a unanimous vote approved a planned unit development (PUD) that would allow construction of a mixed-use building housing a new Tulsa City-County Library branch on the ground floor and 59 apartment units above, and took three related actions to clear the site and authorize financing for public infrastructure.

The PUD, adopted as ordinance 1,237, would rezone the property at 103 W. Broadway from a mix of downtown-mixed and public-facilities zoning to downtown-mixed and place the project under a PUD overlay that allows some deviations from base standards. The council also approved an ordinance to close an alleyway through Block 14 of Owasso’s original town plat (ordinance 1,238) and approved two actions by the Owasso Public Works Authority (OPWA) allowing the authority to assume indebtedness tied to tax-increment financing (TIF) support for the project, including a potential $150,000 reimbursement to the Tulsa County City-County Library Commission for public infrastructure.

Why it matters: The project would more than double the library’s footprint downtown and adds high-density housing directly adjacent to the library. Supporters say the project will modernize library facilities and add residential activity downtown; opponents said the plan was not adequately…