Peace, Love and Understanding – a Tribute to Good Humor
So, I think there’s a peace treaty or at least a truce between Mike Morgan and me over the great weather debate. The discussion was great, and I think we’ve all walked away with a better understanding of just how frustrated people are with bad forecasts and the need for the television folks to be sure they don’t overhype things for ratings.
It’s time to get serious again, and I’ll be doing that with a series of posts the next few days over Jeff Speck’s presentation. Since it was made at City Hall, the City Hall beat reporter Bryan Dean has picked up the next story, which is set to run Sunday.
In the meantime I’ll be dangerously obsessed with pedestrian issues downtown, delving into the finest details of Speck’s findings and recommendations. I’m also hoping to post video clips of parts of his presentation.
How's the Weather?
Just kidding. Though I’d add it was pretty nice out today.
Jeff Speck, author of “Suburban Nation,” is definitely shaking things up this week. First, let me point out some questionable reporting by a local tv station which I won’t name (we’ll just call her “Britney”). The station did a report on Speck. They didn’t have anyone criticizing Speck or his being hired by the city for $20,000 to come up with ways to improve pedestrian access downtown.
So the reporter finished out her story on Speck by reporting he was paid $20,000 and added this:
To put this into perspective for those of you who drive, at $10.66 a pothole, that $20,000 study could have paid for 1,876 potholes to be filled.
Yeah, ok. Britney, you know and I know that this is a cheap elementary reporter’s trick. By doing this you know and I know you’re trying to say the study was a waste of money. Geez, woman, just say it. But if you’re going to make such a judgment, I’ve got to ask how much time and effort you’ve invested into covering all this to make such a conclusion. Oh what’s that? You were just turning 12 when MAPS was passed? OK.
Yeah, I’m feeling feisty this week. Thing is, I’ve seen plenty of pretty worthless consultants hired by the city who offered no new ideas and no real solutions (I won’t say who or what).
But in this case, I’m hearing a lot folks saying that Speck’s ideas and solutions are groundbreaking and in many cases, quite doable.
Some glimpses before the story is fully reported this weekend by Bryan
Dean:
- The design for the planned boulevard to replace I-40 is badly designed
- All remaining one-way streets should be converted to two-way traffic
- The Greater OKC Chamber’s proposed headquarters is badly designed.
- Trees, trees, trees – we need more
- The importance of focusing on downtown and how it benefits all of Oklahoma City
I’ve got a lot more to write about about all this, but let’s wait for what Bryan gets out first. I also have some pretty edgy questions to ask Speck and I’m not sure that all of his suggestions make sense.
In the meantime I think I’ll make an inquiry about how much revenue is lost by the city because it provides free downtown parking spaces around City Hall for reporters (including myself) and how much money was spent building a press room overlooking the city council chambers. I’ll bet the total would cover even more potholes than the amount paid to Jeff Speck.
Ironically, I saw a note today in the city pio’s office that was a message from another local tv reporter who was asking about whether a law was needed to prevent animals from having sex in public. I kid you not.
Ahh… once again I’m making friends with my tv brothers and sisters …
-Steve
Lovallo Wins
A month or so ago, it appeared as if Randy Floyd might prevail in her appeal of the Urban Design Commission’s approval of the planned Lovallo residence. For background, go here.
Today, the entire board agreed to reject the appeal. After listening the hour-long debate, I’m still not clear how this happened. The same arguments were made as last time. The same obsession with an “anomoly.”
This time we heard more about how a roof line might effect perception of the street’s flow. Lovallo’s attorney, Michael Laird, seemed to score with the board when he argued the Urban Design Commission isn’t allowed to approve a design that is any closer to the curb than existing homes (Floyd was arguing this could invite more new homes to creep even closer to the curb).
Now comes the critical question: will the victorious side be gracious toward Floyd and continue fostering this rebirth of a true urban neighborhood? Maybe they can all get together on a gateway or beautification project that can go toward healing the wounds.
Interesting tidbit: Yoeckell wasn’t planning on switching his vote. He just explained to me that he misheard the motion and went along with the vote. He intends to correct the record with the minutes. His vote apparently would not have changed outcome.
SoSA/Cottage District: Here We Go Again
So who will be absent at tomorrow’s Board of Adjustment meeting as it hears, again, the appeal by Randy Floyd to overturn approval of the Lovallo residence by the Urban Design Committee (see previous posts starting with this one).
The meeting is at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.
Dennis Wells, who is on the other side of this fight, won’t be at the meeting. But he’s teasing yet another project coming to the neighborhood on his website, www.freesosa.com.
Image is shown above.
To Jeff Speck: Yes, Broadway Once Had Angled Parking
It was, I admit, a quick answer that might have even been tainted by a bit of ego. Visiting with author and consultant Jeff Speck last week during a dinner with members of ULI, the discussion turned to Broadway and how ridiculously wide it is.
Speck, author of “Suburban Nation,” has been hired by the city to prepare a plan on how to make downtown more friendly to pedestrians. Nobody at the table seemed to believe that Broadway once had angled parking. I spoke up and said “yes it did” without hesitation.
The pressure was on after that. A.J. Kirkpatrick, one of the city’s bright up anc coming assistant planners, was at that table and I know he reads this blog. By giving such an answer, and being so cocky about it, I had to come up with the proof to back up my assertion. I knew I had seen an image of angled parking along Broadway, and sure enough, after doing some searching in my archives at www.okchistory.com (a private history site maintained by myself and Jack Money), the above illustration is at least a start at providing evidence to Speck. This 1920s image appears to be looking north from Sheridan Avenue.
-Steve
Thanking God and the Canal Extension
I knew it came close. I didn’t realize that destruction was flying above everything I cherish. Thank you God is all I can say.
On Tuesday (was that really yesterday?) I revealed in my Main Street column that a wide array of downtown leaders are seeking to add a potential Bricktown Canal extension to the discussion of what’s next for downtown.
These folks are not insisting that funding be provided for such a project or that it be a part of a possible MAPS 3. Instead, there is a growing awareness of significant planning for the future and proponents say they’d like to at least see a canal extension given serious consideration.
The chief reasoning appears to be the potential of making the canal a major pedestrian thoroughfare. Interestingly enough, the city has quietly retained the respect author and planner Jeff Speck to look at improving pedestrian access downtown.
Now here’s a big secret I’ll share about how consultants typically conduct their research: they are given marching orders by their employer (in this case it would be city staff) and that’s that. All too often I’ve seen consultants’ reports disappoint various interested parties – and at the root of it all seems to be a tendency by consultants to simply come up with what they think the clients want.
Jeff Speck, by the way, is not your typical consultant. He’s the guy who first introduced himself to Oklahoma City a couple of years ago by addressing a crowd with the introduction of “your codes are bad.”
How presumptious. How dare he. How brilliant.
Everyone in the room laughed and nobody disagreed.
So here’s hoping that Jeff remains presumptious. And here’s a copy of the resolution Urban Neighbors passed that explains why it, the All Sports Association, the Bricktown Association and several other leading downtown organizations and leaders are spending a lot of time and effort trying to get the canal extension idea into the discussion of downtown’s future:
Resolution of Endorsement
January 29, 2009
The Urban Neighbors Board of Directors voted to support the city’s original plans of extending the canal west between the Ford and Cox Center. The Urban Neighbors Board is encouraging the city of Oklahoma City to consider this idea as plans are made for downtown development. Potentially connecting the canal into the Myriad Gardens would provide a much desired connectivity.
As plans are developed for the future of downtown Oklahoma City, the Urban Neighbors Board believes that a canal extension would play a vital role in connecting Bricktown to the Oklahoma River, Central Business District, Ford and Cox Centers, the Myriad Gardens, the new Devon
Tower and the proposed new convention center and hotel. Additionally, this extension would significantly improve the walkability of downtown OKC, a key asset for any downtown.With this extension, downtown residents would enjoy an enhanced quality of life with improved access to Bricktown and the Oklahoma River.Additionally, easier access to downtown green space, both old and new, would be an asset. The Urban Neighbors Board prefaces its support with a desire for such a plan to be incorporated into an overall master plan for the area affected and that timing of such an improvement be appropriate to overall connectivity plans within the downtown area.
A canal extension would provide the following key connections:
- Proposed convention center and hotel to Bricktown and the Oklahoma River.
- CBD and Devon Tower to Bricktown to the Oklahoma River.
- Myriad Botanical Gardens to Bricktown and the Oklahoma River.
- Core to Shore area to Bricktown and Oklahoma River
- Ford and Cox Centers to Bricktown
- Meridian Hotel corridor to Myriad Botanical Gardens, Arts District and CBDA canal extension benefits:
- Downtown residents
- Myriad Botanical Gardens
- Ford Center, Cox Center, plus their tenants and users
- Central Business District businesses and workers
- Bricktown District
- Arts District
- Boathouse community
- River users
- OKC Convention and Visitors Bureau, convention industry
- OKC Chamber, business recruitment specialists and those who market
- Sporting event promoters
- Future Core to Shore businesses and residents
- Downtown hotels
- Meridian Avenue hoteliers and guests
- Downtown event attendees
- Tourists
- Mayor Cornett’s fit city initiative
- Oklahoma City taxpayersThis extension would fundamentally change the canal from an attraction to a pedestrian thoroughfare. It would create a situation where the canal is a preferred walking route rather than a place that has to be sought out. As pedestrian counts increase exponentially, canal development would be almost certain to follow.
We, the Board of Directors of Urban Neighbors, representing key stakeholders of our downtown, urge all of the beneficiary parties identified in this document to join us in supporting the inclusion of a canal extension in all future plans for downtown development.
Starting Fresh: The Next Chapter on the Chamber Building
As mentioned here previously, Blair Humphreys has started an intriguing discussion about the proposed Greater Oklahoma City Chamber headquarters to be built at NW 4 and Broadway.
Here’s how he starts his latest entry:
Lets break free of what is clearly a flawed proposal and begin a process that looks for fresh solutions and ideas, producing a new plan that meets the Chamber’s objectives while enhancing downtown Oklahoma City for decades to come. I have found that the best plans are produced through collaboration, so I hope you will join me in this re-visioning effort!
Plenty of fun will be had with Blair’s introduction of anonymous comments for this discussion. And having been treated to Blair’s ideas last summer, I promise his upcoming posts on this topic will be interesting, innovative and even controversial for some. Stay tuned for more ….
Blair Takes a Stand
For two years I’ve been aware of efforts by Blair Humphreys to contribute ideas that might influence how the new headquarters for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber might be designed. He asked me throughout these conversations to keep his efforts and thoughts private – and since our conversations were off the record, I was fine with obliging that request.
The approval of the project by the Downtown Design Committee in September upset a lot of people, but few wanted to speak publicly about their concerns. It’s not that anyone felt like those involved with the project had bad intentions; most concerned observers I’ve heard from simply don’t think that all options were explored.
With the project now on hold, Blair is expressing regret over being part of that silence, and is commenting about on it on his blog, www.imaginativeamerica.com. If you have any interest in downtown development and/or design, I’d suggest that you spend a few minutes over at his sight.
Here’s how he starts the conversation:
Discovery of the Chamber building’s new name got me to thinking, and I now realize that I made a mistake last August, one which I wish I could have back. I wrote “Re-visioning the Chamber Proposal” on August 3rd, 2008, but never released it. At the time, the proposal was still weeks away from initial urban design review and I hoped to contribute to the dialogue, or more accurately, initiate a dialogue about the proposal and the constraints placed on the project by the flawed planning of the I.M. Pei Plan. But then, after receiving advice that it would damage my future job prospects in OKC, I chose to stay silent.
It is a tough deal because I love Oklahoma City. I have always dreamed of helping to shape the future of the city and want to make it great – that is why I left development to pursue a career in planning. As a student of history I appreciate and respect the vital role the Chamber has played – and continues to play – in Oklahoma City’s rise from train depot, to State Capitol, to Big League City. However, I have never felt right about the way I stayed quiet on this issue. From now on, I will not back down from contributing my thoughts on contentious issues, but I will try to do so in the most respectful manner possible.
To read the Blair’s entire discussion, visit www.imaginativeamerica.com.
Inspiration?
A reader of this blog brought this masterpiece to my attention and I agree, there are some features that really do seem to be similar to what’s being attempted by architect Bryan Fitzsimmons in the Cottage District (or SoSA).
From the Frank Lloyd Wright website:
Wright’s Robie House
The Robie House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his client Frederick C. Robie, is considered one of the most important buildings in the history of American architecture. Designed in Wright’s Oak Park studio in 1908 and completed in 1910, the building inspired an architectural revolution. Its sweeping horizontal lines, dramatic overhangs, stretches of art glass windows and open floor plan make it a quintessential Prairie style house. Although it was designed more than ninety years ago, the building remains a masterpiece of modern architecture.
Redefining/Defining a Neighborhood
Oh my, oh my. I would not have wanted to be John Yoeckel today.
For those of you who don’t know John, he’s a well respected civic leader and a member of the city’s Board of Adjustment.
It’s his job to make someone very, very happy or very, very unhappy. Sometimes his vote, along with three other board members, can end up with both results.
Today was one of those days. And oh, how difficult it was to face disappointing either side.
On both sides you had top notch attorneys and well-known architects and urban pioneers.
Both sides represent residents of a MidTown neighborhood who clearly love their community, are doing everything to bring it back to life, and yet can’t even agree what to call it or what it should be.
Yeah, this was a fun case – and the stakes were nothing less than the redefinition of a neighborhood.
The neighborhood in question is defined as follows by the MidTown Association:
Located in the west central portion of MidTown, the Cottage District is characterized by older single family cottages and bungalows. This area contains Red Andrews Park and Municipal Gym, Emerson
School, and considerable amounts of vacant land.
So, let’s meet the two sides:
SoSA (South of Saint Anthony) Neighborhood: Architect Dennis Wells coined the proposed renaming of “the Cottage District,” noting its eclectic mix does not match its name. And indeed, long before this battle began I wrote a story noting the diversity of this neighborhood. Wells allies include architect Bryan Fitzsimmons, who like Wells has recently built a modern home in area that certainly isn’t your standard Dallas style suburban home in Deer Creek.
Cottage District: Randy Floyd and Michael Smith were pioneers in this neighborhood long before Wells and Fitzsimmons. They took a chance on a row of territorial era homes, and their renovations showed that the neighborhood once overrun with drug dealers and prostitutes was ready for a revival. And now for some history:If you go to Bricktown, there is enough urban fabric (brick warehouses) that one can say “this is the area’s character, here’s how it should guide designs for new construction and renovations.” Same can be said for Automobile Alley and the Asian District. But how does one judge the Cottage District/SoSA?Do we judge the area and set design guidelines based on the neighborhood’s original housing stock? That’s a problem for some because so many of the homes were torn down and left as either empty lots, or rebuilt as …
Modern Design Homes.
Yep, the neighborhood has plenty of it. The Classen Glen condominiums set the tone a quarter century ago and Fitzsimmons put an exclamation point on it with his own new home a few years back.
Then came Wells, and now comes yet another proposed modern home.The home, designed for Bill Lovallo by Fitzsimmons, is a two-story, 1,730-square-foot house that would sit atop a sloped lot at 825 NW 7. And while the home lines up with others on the street, a second level fronted with glass panels would face out closer to the street than most of the other homes.
Smith and Floyd argued at a November meeting of the Urban Design Commission that the project violated the neighborhood’s setback requirements. But Lovallo and Fitzsimmons responded that it was in line with at least one other home at NW 7 and Shartel.
That home, an older structure that went through a renovation deemed substandard by many in the neighborhood, was promptly declared an anomaly by Smith and Floyd as they sought to overturn the design committee’s ruling to the Board of Adjustment on Thursday.Smith and Floyd were represented by attorney Leslie Batchelor, who is also a well known innercity advocate and civic leader.
Lovallo and Fitzsimmons, meanwhile, were represented by high-powered and respected attorney Michael Laird, who is also no stranger to urban issues.
Watching the proceedings, I knew that John Yoeckel would end up being the first guy to show his hand. He spoke of his admiration for both sides, and then he announced his vote – he would uphold Randy Floyd’s challenge. He cited the city’s original zoning intent and setbacks as being more important than the anomaly at 829 NW 7.
Next up, board member Stephen Dobbs, who noted there is no allowance for exclusions of “anomalies.”The vote is 1-1. And the deciding vote is left up to Rod Baker, who was absent, and David Wanzer, who had to recuse himself due to ties to Fitzsimmons.
And so we wait for yet another day on this matter to be decided. And one can only imagine the fun John will have at the next downtown social.
