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Design commission continues Primrose fence‑slat request after neighborhood concerns
Summary
The Downtown Design Commission agreed April 16 to continue a request by Primrose (1013 NW 13th) to insert PVC privacy slats into an existing ornamental fence, asking the applicant to meet with Heritage Hills neighbors and provide product specifications before the May 21 meeting.
The Downtown Design Commission on April 16 continued a request from the owners of Primrose at 1013 Northwest 13th Street to insert PVC privacy slats into an existing decorative metal fence, saying neighbors and staff should have a chance to review product details and possible visual impacts.
Chair Kayla Copelan convened the meeting and invited Planning Department staff to present the application. Laura Griggs of the Planning Department said the fence faces Classen Avenue and is considered a sideyard under district rules, which allows solid materials in sideyards but also requires commissioners to weigh design and streetscape character. Griggs raised two technical questions: she wanted a manufacturer specification for the PVC slats because some PVC products can fade or chalk, and she noted the original fence footings were designed for an open metal fence, so adding solid slats could change wind loads.
Applicant Nosa Akimona, who identified herself as the owner of Primary School of Midtown Oklahoma City, told the commission the slats are intended to maintain visual appeal while improving security for children at the on‑site playground. "We want to be good neighbors," Akimona said, adding she is willing to meet with neighbors and provide the requested product information to staff.
Neighbors, represented by Marva Ellard, president of the Heritage Hills Board of Directors, urged the commission to preserve the ornamental metal fence as originally negotiated during prior project approvals. "We prefer this fence. We feel like it is more characteristic of the neighborhood," Ellard said, arguing that landscaping already provides screening and that adding slats would represent a character change.
Commissioners discussed narrower compromises (for example, screening only the playground portion of the fence), the timeline for receipt of product specifications, and the appeal/notice windows if staff made an administrative decision. The applicant agreed to meet with Heritage Hills representatives and to submit material documentation to staff.
A motion to continue the item to the commission's May 21 meeting so the applicant could meet with Heritage Hills and provide materials passed by voice vote. Staff said they would set a deadline for materials to be submitted in advance of the May hearing.
The commission recorded no formal roll‑call vote in the transcript; the motion was announced as passing. The item will return to the Downtown Design Commission on May 21, 2026, with product specifications and any neighborhood‑agreed modifications to consider.
