Board of Adjustment approves multiple home‑sharing permits, denies lot‑size variance after deed dispute

The Oklahoma City Board of Adjustment on Monday approved a series of home‑sharing special exceptions and a residential setback variance, denied a lot‑size variance after a neighboring property owner alleged the applicant submitted a fraudulent deed, and continued two items to early‑February hearings.

The board approved a variance for a house at 12320 Thelmas Way, granting a reduction of the north setback from 25 feet to 15 feet after applicant Holly Baum of Baum House Design Build told the board the lot’s steep slope and required retaining walls made the reduced setback necessary. "I'm requesting it to be 15 feet," Baum said during her presentation. The motion to approve the variance passed on a voice vote.

Several home‑sharing applications were approved with conditions tailored to each property. Renewals and new permits were approved with typical conditions: limits on guest occupancy, nightly quiet hours and one‑year or multi‑year terms. Examples of approvals and conditions: the renewal at 9136 Northwest 119th Street was approved for a three‑year term for up to six guests; a new application at 1628 South Douglas Avenue was approved for one year with quiet hours set to 9 p.m.–8 a.m.; a first‑time application for 1201 Northwest 2nd Street, Unit 2 was approved with a one‑year term and a two‑car maximum; and applications at 4204 Northwest 43rd Place and 1436 Southwest 129th Street were approved with one‑year terms, specified guest and vehicle limits, and prohibitions on on‑street parking.

A contested variance (case 16060) for property at 5101 East Wilshire Boulevard was denied after a neighbor, Viola Ramsey, told the board she believed the deed submitted by the applicant was fraudulent and asserted that part of the property did not belong to the applicant. "The deed that she submitted is fraudulent," Ramsey said. Following discussion over the lot‑size requirement for the agricultural zone (a 5‑acre minimum noted by board members) and the applicant’s absence, the board voted to deny the application: Mister Noble — Aye; Mister Seeta — Aye; Mister Voorhees — No; Miss Mitchelson — Aye; Mister Oodie — recused.

The board also considered an application from Scion Properties to regularize a short‑term rental at 2136 Northwest 13th Street. A representative for Scion Properties said the property had been operated as a short‑term rental before the city’s home‑sharing regulations and that records showing that history are held by a third party the company cannot compel to turn them over. "We've been operating these since well before the home sharing regulations came into place in Oklahoma City," the representative said. Because the company cannot produce the historical records without legal action, the board approved the special exception with conditions (maximum six guests, quiet hours 9 p.m.–8 a.m., four‑car maximum, no on‑street parking, one‑year term); one board member recorded an abstention on that vote.

Staff announced continuances for Mimi’s Garden Child Development Center (case 16142) and the application by Jesus Estrada (case 16141) to the February 5, 2026 meeting. The board closed the docket after brief discussion with municipal counsel about grandfathering provisions in the ordinance and adjourned.

Meeting materials and the board’s staff reports list the specific conditions attached to each approval and include any written protests in the packet; board members repeatedly cited statutory/ordinance requirements and the municipal code when framing motions and conditions. The board indicated applicants may refile or return if they need to provide additional documentation or resolve protest issues.