Planning commission approves RS-1 rezoning and preliminary plat for 38-acre Adelaide Hills development after neighborhood objections on runoff and traffic

The Tulsa Planning Commission approved Case CZ566, rezoning approximately 38.48 acres northwest of East 170th Street South and South Lewis Avenue from AG (agricultural) to RS-1 (single-family residential, larger lots) and approved the related preliminary subdivision plat for the project commonly referred to in the packet as Adelaide Hills.

Staff presentation: Kendall Davis, identified as senior planner with the regional planning organization assigned to the cases, told commissioners the site is currently vacant and that the Glenpool comprehensive plan shows the area as rural. Staff concluded the originally requested RS-3 zoning (smaller lots) conflicted with the plan and recommended denial of RS-3 but recommended approval of RS-1 as a compromise. Davis said the RS-1 request better conforms to the county’s development patterns and engineering standards.

Applicant presentation: Alan Betchen of AB Engineering said the developer intends half-acre lots for the first phase and that the plat submitted conforms to RS-1 standards. He told the commission the first phase will contain 54 lots and that there is an agreement and detention easement on a pond to the west (on a not-yet-purchased remainder tract) to manage stormwater. He said each lot will be required to meet Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality standards for on-site septic, typically using aerobic systems.

Public comments: Multiple nearby residents objected. Brooke Morgan, who lives at 16757 South Lewis Avenue, said the property "is literally the lot right across the street from it" and urged the commission to "please keep it the country out there." Valerie Coble and other neighbors said the developer owns nearby acreage and they expect phase 2 will add another 54 homes, making 108 total; they argued steep slopes, existing drainage that sends runoff across Lewis Avenue, the lack of an on-plat retention facility for the downhill flow, and septic systems on a slope present environmental and public-safety risks. Jace Morgan, who identified himself as living at 16757 South Lewis Avenue, said he had photographs and videos documenting repeated inundation of his property and asked the commission not to approve rezoning without a binding, independently reviewed stormwater mitigation plan.

Applicant response and staff assurances: The applicant said civil engineering plans will be required to demonstrate no adverse impact on surrounding properties and to meet county standards for peak flow (including detention). The developer said a secondary detention basin will be included along Lewis Avenue near the entry to reduce runoff and that all lots must meet DEQ standards for on-site systems. Staff noted they had contacted the city of Glenpool and received no formal response; staff also noted the property is outside Glenpool city limits but within Glenpool’s land-use planning area.

Commission discussion and vote: Commissioners expressed concern about lack of formal comment from Glenpool and about infrastructure capacity; several commissioners also emphasized that preliminary plat and engineering reviews come after entitlement (zoning). After discussion a motion to approve CZ566 pursuant to staff recommendation (rezoning to RS-1) was made and seconded; the motion passed on the record. The preliminary subdivision plat tied to the case was also approved per staff recommendation.

What remains: Engineering review, plat finalization and DEQ septic approvals are required before any lots may be developed. Neighbors asked for a development design with larger lots (4–10 acres) or legally binding, peer-reviewed stormwater mitigation. The record includes residents’ photos and promised video evidence of existing runoff; those exhibits are part of the hearing record.

Speakers quoted or recorded in the hearing are listed below.