Commission meeting goes into hallway

By JOY HAMPTON

Rogers County Commissioners heard discussion Monday on Sun River Ranch planned unit development and looked over $17.5 million in proposed county fund divisions at their weekly board meeting.

Commissioners approved zoning for the planned unit development that sparked controversy two weeks ago and that led to an overflow crowd in the court house Monday.

After listening to citizen concerns and rebuttal from attorney Mack Greever Sept.15, Commissioner Mike Helm suggested the matter be tabled in order to allow tempers to cool and people to contact Planning Commission Director Magan DeLozier Green or Greever for more information. He also proposed the continued public hearing be held in a courtroom to avoid overcrowding and allow citizens to hear all of the discussion.

The zoning was requested by OK Ranch Properties on 3,000 acres at 17995 South Ranch Road. Bordered by the Caney River, the former ranch site is located south of Oologah and east of Collinsville.

The Rogers County Planning Commission approved the zoning application in a 4-1 vote on Sept. 4, after hearing from Greever and opponents to the zoning change. The matter next came before the Board of County Commissioners.

The Board met in Judge Sheila Condren’s courtroom Monday to accommodate an anticipated crowd which had dwindled in numbers from two weeks ago.

Greever, representing OK Ranch Properties, fielded questions from commissioners and the public. Concerns centered on traffic, a water tower and a school.

Helm told opponents to the zoning change that Ranch Road which dead-ends at the border of the property in question would remain a dead-end road. Section line roads, 136th Street and 177th Street, will be opened as routes for construction traffic to and from the proposed development, he said.

“These two roads would be the roads we’d put in to keep developers out of your edition,” Helm said.

Helm also told those present they could work with Green to ensure the County Planning Commission requires the developer to put in buffers such as berms and trees and up to 300 feet between existing residential property and a school, if one is built.

Greever said the proposed school will be at the discretion of Collinsville Public Schools. Developers are setting aside 20 acres if the school district wants to build an elementary or middle school in the future.

“I suspect you will not know there’s a school there by the time we get all the buffering in,” Greever said.

In addition to noise from a school, residents near the proposed Sun River Edition said they fear a planned water tower will be an eyesore. In the original proposal, the tower was to be located on the highest point of ground.

“The water tower, visiting with Rural Water 3, they want it closer to their line,” Helm said.

Helm and Greever said the PUD is a work in progress and each stage must go before the planning commission for approval.

“This is a blank canvas. This is what it may look like,” Helm said of the pictorial version of the PUD presented by Greever.

Greever said the planning commission has comprehensive subdivision regulations which must be followed, and the county will oversee each step of the development. He said the public will have opportunities for input at each stage.

Chairman Dan DeLozier said the PUD on Monday’s agenda was a zoning matter only, and concerns such as the water tower and school could be addressed with the planning commission when and if the subdivision developed.

Commissioners approved the zoning application 3-0.

In other County business, accountant Bill Turner presented commissioners with a prospective budget of $17,478,068 in funds spread across each of the county departments.

Turner worked with estimates of needs presented by the various county departments, added in carry-over or fund balance figures from last year, and came up with proposed numbers to present to commissioners and the Excise Board.

Commissioners will go over the numbers this week and revisit the budget with plans to finalize it at the next board meeting.

Commissioners also took the following action:

• Acknowledged $900,000 ($720,000 federal, $180,000 local) for District 2 for INCOG endorsed project at 161st East Avenue and Pine Street intersection

• Approved appropriations (incoming money) for Use Tax $64,916; Unrestricted Highway $254,109; Cellular Phone Usage (two months) $46,636; E-911 Fees $13,258; Attendant Care $405; Community Development Block Grant, Advanced Research Chemicals, Inc. $100,000

• Approved blanket purchase orders for D3 to Water Products for emergency culvert replacement $20,000 and to R&S; Auto Parts $750; Sheriff’s Jail to Bimbo Bakery $1,200, Farmers Brothers Coffee $600, Sysco Foods (fruits, vegetables) $2,200, Sysco Foods (general groceries) $6,500, Warehouse Market $250, St. Francis lab $600, PHS Mobile X-ray $600, Diamond Medical $200, Diamond Pharmacy $6,000, Froman Oil $700; Sheriff’s General to Froman Oil $3,500.

• Tabled bids for Health Department roof from Fuller Roof, Owasso, $49,350 and Tribal Construction $58,999, will study bids for one week

• Awarded laid asphalt bids to “closest and best” with bids (per ton of laid asphalt) received from APAC Oklahoma, Inc. $77.62; A&A; Asphalt, Inc. of Broken Arrow $76.80, and Lobo Asphalt for D1 (B-type) $77.77, D2 $72.52, D3 $74.27, (C-type) D1 $769.77, D2 $74.52, D3 $76.27

• No responses were received on a bid request for “laid ultrathin bonded asphalt”

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