Residents press council on tree loss, traffic as rezoning for 'the Pines' advances

The Broken Arrow City Council considered BAZ 2651-2026, a request to rezone roughly 119 acres from agricultural to residential for a proposed single-family neighborhood known as the Pines. Rocky Hinkle, the community development director, said Planning Commission recommended reducing the applicant’s requested RSP zoning to RS and forwarded a recommendation of approval with that reduced intensity.

Several nearby residents spoke at the public hearing. Dennis Ko told the council he moved into the neighborhood partly because of adjacent wooded areas and that his young children play in the cul-de-sac; he said tree removal and increased traffic would harm livability. "Putting this project in is going to increase the traffic in that area," Ko said. Todd Walls asked the developer to preserve a 40–50-foot tree buffer along the southwestern corner of the retention pond to protect privacy, property values and reduce erosion.

Alan Bchin of AAB Engineering, describing himself as the project engineer, said the pond is a functioning detention facility and that topography and floodplain limits will keep some west-side forested area intact. He said two entrances off 37th Street and stubbed streets from existing phases will serve the development and that the intent is to retain green space where feasible. On timing, staff and the developer said earthwork would take about four to six months after approvals, with heavy civil work typically lasting 12–15 months and houses not occupied for roughly two years after this approval-stage step.

Council took a motion and second on BAZ 2651-2026 as modified by the Planning Commission. The transcript shows the motion and second and discussion; a complete roll-call tally is not fully recorded in the provided excerpt. Staff said the next public step is the preliminary plat, which will give neighbors detailed lot and road layouts.