The Edmond Planning Commission voted 5–0 on Nov. 4, 2025, to recommend approval of an ordinance amending Chapter 22 of the Edmond Municipal Code that would replace the 2008 downtown design guidelines with updated downtown streetscape standards and forward the ordinance to the City Council for consideration on Nov. 24, 2025.

The standards, presented by a Kimley Horn consultant and introduced by planning staff, lay out technical roadway sections for the downtown core (bounded roughly from Fred’s to University, Thatcher to Fifth), specify when parallel versus angled parking is appropriate, set guidance on sidewalk and furnishing‑zone widths, address drainage differences between parking types, and provide tree‑planting and soil‑volume approaches for constrained urban conditions.

Why it matters: the standards aim to standardize street cross sections and public‑space dimensions across a variety of right‑of‑way widths (the consultant cited existing widths of roughly 60 to 120 feet), with the goal of keeping clear pedestrian paths, organizing lighting and benches into a 4‑foot furnishing zone, and creating consistent corridors for enhanced landscaping. The Central Edmond Urban District Board recommended approval of the standards at its public hearing on June 10, 2025.

Presentation and key elements
The consultant described a three‑phase outreach process — multiple stakeholder meetings, a public input session, and board review — before preparing the draft standards. The document contains plan‑view drawings and cross sections for multiple right‑of‑way widths and uses. Consultant materials noted many downtown sidewalk segments under 6 feet and recommended wider clear zones in the urban core. For parking, the standards recommend a mix of parallel and angled configurations where street widths permit, and note that narrow, roughly 60‑foot rights‑of‑way are generally only suitable for parallel parking.

Tree and landscape guidance in the draft includes recommended corridors for enhanced plantings and technical options to provide adequate soil volume for street trees in paved areas, including SilvaCell systems and structural soil approaches; the consultant said the standards would also lean on the Edmond Tree and Landscape Guide for specific species and planting details.

The draft includes guidance on furnishing zones (a 4‑foot band for lighting, benches and bike racks), shared space for pedestrian flow and retail activity (for example, outdoor dining near bump‑outs), and technical notes on drainage (angled parking typically pitches drainage to a center gutter; parallel parking drains to the curb line). Intersection geometry and turning radiuses were shown consistent with recently completed downtown improvements.

Questions and next steps
Commissioners asked whether the new document represents a major change from the previous guidelines; the consultant said the earlier 2008 guidelines focused more on site furnishings and materials, while the new standards add detailed roadway and sidewalk cross sections and clearer rules for organizing components within the public right‑of‑way. Commissioners also asked about use of concrete bump‑outs for outdoor dining; the consultant said the standards show examples and possible bump‑out locations but do not require a single business‑level solution, and any specific installations would need to coordinate with Urban Forestry and service access needs.

Votes and procedural outcome
The Planning Commission approved the ordinance recommendation by a 5–0 vote and forwarded the ordinance to the Edmond City Council for consideration on Nov. 24, 2025. Earlier in the meeting the commission also approved general consent items A through E by a 5–0 vote; item E was noted as moving to City Council on Nov. 24, 2025.

Implementation notes
The standards are written to be adopted by reference into Title 22; the consultant noted that some technical elements (tree species, exact planting details) will continue to reference the Edmond Tree and Landscape Guide so that species and planting details can be updated independently of the code. Final adoption requires City Council action on Nov. 24, 2025.

Sources and attribution
Statements in this report are based on the Nov. 4, 2025 Planning Commission meeting presentation and transcript. The consultant team identified itself as Kimley Horn; planning staff introduced the ordinance. No members of the public spoke during the public hearing.