Planning Commission approves Mission Norman PUD amendment to add duplex transitional housing and community garden

The Norman Planning Commission on [date not specified] approved an amendment to the Mission Norman planned unit development that relocates transitional housing on the site and adds nine duplexes, playgrounds and a community garden.

Ben LaCourse, representing the applicant, said the organization has operated in Norman for about 27 years and provides a range of services including a food pantry and transitional housing. "We're moving all of the transitional housing to the east side of the property," LaCourse said, and the amendment replaces five quadplexes with nine duplexes while retaining one existing quadplex and increasing open space for a community garden to support the food bank.

Planning staff told commissioners the amendment is largely a site‑plan change and that the revised layout remains consistent with the AIM Norman land‑use designation. Staff noted the number of units stays the same and that the organization—s donor‑funded model complicates providing a precise construction phasing schedule. LaCourse said there is no specific build‑out timeline; the project will move forward as funding permits.

Commissioners asked about phasing and whether existing site elements (parking and concrete) would be reused; the applicant said those details would be resolved during construction permitting. No letters of protest were on file for the amendment. A motion to approve the PUD amendment was made, seconded and carried by the commission.

The commission did not set a construction schedule; staff and the applicant indicated phasing and reuse of existing materials will be addressed during design and permitting.

What happens next: the amendment is approved at the Planning Commission level and will follow the city—s normal permitting and construction review processes; no additional protest was recorded at the hearing.