Mayor Steven Tyler Holman and council members on Tuesday approved an interlocal agreement (contract K-2526-102) to purchase a 3.23-acre parcel along Reed Avenue from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Real Property Trust for $74,290.

Assistant City Attorney Anthony Purinton told council the parcel — some of which lies in the flood plain — was appraised and offered by the state, that the transfer would be by quickclaim deed (standard for the state) and that mineral interests were excluded from the conveyance. Staff said closing could occur quickly and possibly in December, with the purchase effective upon council approval.

Council members asked about the timeline and steps required before any shelter could open. Parks Director Jason Olsen and Planning staff said the city would need to plat and zone the land, hold predevelopment meetings, draft a SPUD (special planned unit development) narrative to lock in controls (landscaping, lighting, walls) and proceed through the Development Review Team and Planning Commission before another council approval. Public Works said the parcel’s size did not require a full traffic-impact analysis; instead, staff would prepare a traffic letter. Officials estimated the regulatory steps could take months — planners suggested an optimistic 4–6 months for some processes — and that construction or placement of a prefabricated building was unlikely before 2026.

More than a dozen neighbors spoke during public comment. Evan Taylor, of the Original Townsite neighborhood, said purchasing the land “is not neutral” because the site is being evaluated for a shelter and urged the council to require a formal planning framework with milestones, a standing citizen oversight committee, and clarity about whether a low‑barrier shelter model is appropriate on a residential street. Others asked for neighborhood impact assessments, environmental protections for Bishop Creek, design measures such as fencing and lighting, and more coordinated policing or PACE team enforcement.

Several residents urged the city to buy immediately to secure the “once‑in‑a‑lifetime” price and to start planning for permanent supportive housing, while others asked for delays until the neighborhood had greater clarity. Staff and council repeatedly said neighborhood outreach would be part of the predevelopment and SPUD process and that operators such as CityCare and Food and Shelter were already engaged in planning and winter-preparedness work.

The motion to approve the interlocal agreement passed unanimously. Council and staff emphasized that the purchase is an early step: acquiring the land does not itself authorize construction or permanent placement of a shelter. Next steps identified by staff include predevelopment meetings, DRT review, Planning Commission consideration of a SPUD narrative that could include neighborhood protections, and subsequent council action on any site plan or rezoning.

Authorities and clarifications from the record: the purchase price is $74,290; parcel size is 3.23 acres; conveyance would be by quitclaim deed; mineral interests are excluded; some acreage is in floodplain; staff anticipated a closing and transfer in December 2025; early construction or occupancy is unlikely before 2026 absent expedited work. The contract appears in the agenda as K-2526-102 and was approved by unanimous council vote.