Tulsa board allows bank drive‑through under mixed‑use plan and waives liner‑building requirement for parking deck

The Tulsa Board of Adjustment on Oct. 28 approved two zoning reliefs for a mixed‑use redevelopment at the northeast corner of East 30th Street South and Peoria Avenue: a special exception allowing a bank drive‑through and a variance removing the code requirement that a parking deck’s Ground Floor be screened by occupiable 'liner' buildings facing sidewalks.

Applicant Nathan Cross told the board the redevelopment follows a prior, more ambitious rezoning and that the current plan responds to market conditions while aiming to add public parking after hours. The project includes a one‑level parking deck with a limited amount of retail or restaurant space along Peoria; the bank wants a drive‑through window beneath the structure.

The city’s 'liner‑building' requirement normally requires occupiable uses — retail or offices — at street level to mask parking levels and keep a pedestrian‑oriented frontage. The applicant proposed an alternate strategy using mature canopy trees and high‑quality landscaping to screen the Ground Floor where the parking deck faces side streets and a detention area at the northwest corner.

Board members said they understood the code’s pedestrian‑oriented goal but also noted the site’s unusual shape and the need to preserve parking counts. One board member summarized the finding for the variance by pointing to the lot’s three street frontages and how a strict liner would substantially reduce available parking. The board approved both requests, finding the lot configuration and public parking objectives established a basis for relief.

Next steps: Final design and permit applications will be subject to engineering and pedestrian‑safety review. Any retail or restaurant space proposed for the Ground Floor will be reviewed under normal building‑permit and public‑safety standards.