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Tulsa Board of Adjustment approves series of variances and special exceptions across the city
Summary
At its February meeting the Tulsa Board of Adjustment approved multiple special exceptions and variances across the city, including a car-lot special exception, dealership parking/entitlement extensions, residential driveway and setback relief, accessory-building height relief, a church-site variance, and a confirmation allowing a house to remain in a CS-zoned lot.
In addition to the sign variances and the hookah-lounge decision, the Tulsa Board of Adjustment approved a number of separate requests across the city. The following items were decided at the February meeting; motions, findings and votes were recorded in the meeting minutes.
Votes at a glance (approved items)
- BOA 23817 (5 South 100 Ninth East Place): Applicant Abdul Amir received a special exception permitting personal vehicle sales and rentals (car lot) in the CS District; the board recorded support and conditioned the use on applicable parking/striping requirements. The applicant said he expects to display 4'5 cars outdoors and roughly six to seven inside the existing building; he told the board he is leasing the property and has landlord permission. The board found that the request was in keeping with the neighborhood and that permit-level parking and striping requirements will apply.
- BOA 23821 (Fontana Shopping Center / Lot A): Stewart Van DeWille represented Silverado Properties and asked to add a satellite parking lot (overflow and employee parking) that would match entitlements already granted to the main dealership. The board approved special exceptions and several variances, including removing a screening requirement adjacent to R/AGR zoning and allowing display-area standards relief; the board's findings cited the lot's unique configuration and historical use.
- BOA 23839 (2405 E. 26th / Crown Homes): Crown Homes received approval to increase a permitted driveway width (from 27 feet to 30 feet at the curb and to 39.5 feet within the street setback) and a variance reducing the arterial-street setback from 35 feet to 15.5 feet. The board found the neighborhood's existing setback pattern predates the current zoning and that the requested relief was the minimum necessary for a residential design.
- BOA 23840 (2405 East 26th / Tom Neal): A variance was approved to reduce a rear-yard setback in the RS2 district from 25 feet to 5 feet for a small master-suite addition; the board cited the lot's nonconforming layout and limited options for an addition.
- BOA 23841 (6446 S. Louisville Ave / Philip Doyle): The board granted a variance reducing a rear setback in RS1 from 25 feet to 16 feet, 7 inches to allow a covered porch; findings noted topographical water-flow issues and the existing nonconforming house placement.
- BOA 23843 (2922 E. 30th St / James Dixon): A variance was granted to increase the permitted wall/top-plate height for an accessory building sited in the rear setback (approval increased the permitted top plate from 10 feet to 13 feet for the detached garage while keeping overall ridge height below the 18-foot maximum). The board's findings cited lot shape and the desire to maintain low roof pitches consistent with neighborhood character.
- BOA 23844 (1627 E. Independence / Mark Gowey on behalf of a local church): The board approved a special exception permitting a religious/civic assembly use in the RM1 district and granted a variance reducing the minimum lot-area requirement for religious assembly from 1.0 acre to 0.48 acres. The board concluded that the literal enforcement of the one-acre minimum was unnecessary given the site's context, parking ratio compliance, and the neighborhood's historical development pattern.
- BOA 23846 (5029 S. 30th W Ave / Bradley Niehus): The board approved a special exception confirming a single-family detached house is permitted to remain at this CS-zoned lot; the applicant said the house had long functioned as a residence, was taxed as residential, and the action will allow the buyer to obtain financing. The board found the request in harmony with the neighborhood.
Items continued or withdrawn
- BOA 23798 (Accessory dwelling unit at 4244 S. 20th W Ave) was continued to the board's February 25 meeting after neighbors asked to be notified and the applicant was not present. The board asked staff to attempt further outreach to the applicant.
- BOA 23837 (1140 S. Quincy Av, fence-height special exception) and BOA 23830 were continued to the February 25 meeting because applicants were not present at this hearing.
- BOA 23827 (1802 S. Jackson Ave) was withdrawn prior to the hearing.
What happens next
Most approvals require permit-level reviews, building and plumbing inspections, parking/striping plans, and any required fire-marshal occupancy review before uses commence. Where the board granted variances tied to site configuration, staff noted that building permits and inspections remain the mechanism to ensure code and safety compliance.
