How would you prioritize the needs to be addressed by the future City of Tulsa vision?

The first 4 far and away outway the last 4. The list should be 100 items.......with my first four being 1-4 and the 4 through 8 should be 97-100

I would like the city to prioritize capital projects; this should be used to drive Tulsa forward. Public safety should be funded from more permanent taxes.

Of the projects, I prefer both stadiums and the library project

I don't see spending 100's of millions on the river as good management. I am old enough to remember pre-Keystone floods and 1986. Why are we delaying infrastructure on the river (levies and infrastructure at Port of Catoosa) for Federal funding that may be too little too late? The Port is economically important to Tulsa. I don't think building dams to attract beer venues matches it in economic impact. Our entrepreneurs have developed good entertainment districts. Support them; don't compete against them. Three of our biggest employers are hospitals and they need to fill a lot of lower paying support personnel jobs on round the clock shifts. Do we have good public transpotation to these employment hubs? And finally, there will never be anything more important than schools. Education is the tide that will float all our boats.

I think the river development is the most important thing for Tulsa and to not drag the devopment out! Downtown is next,then economic and nice roads would be great.
Let's also keep our big telecom companies here and provide incentives for Level 3 and Verizon

In support of the Pearl Project.

Public Safety and Economic Development that will pay for itself.

The Pearl Project addresses Tulsa last unmitigated Flood Plain. The Elm Creek Basin. For the past 50 years, this known flood basin has been an serious public safety hazard risking the health and safety of all who live, work, worship or play in this flood plain. The public safety risk is increasing as the Pearl District becomes more popular with each day. Costs associated with the flooding, besides risking lives, are in the form of the millions of dollars in property damage, loss of inventory, customers, homes, businesses and livelihoods that flooding inflicts upon the residential and business owners in it's path. The flood plain leaves large areas of prime land that is not developable because they are in a flood plain. The time is now.

The Elm Creek Flood Basin is larger than most people realize. It includes, Kendall Whittier, parts of South Peoria Ave, The Pearl District, Centennial Park, The Village at Central Park, Oaklawn Cemetery, Tracy Park, parts of 11th Street, The Gunboat Addition, parts of 18th and Boston, Veterans Park and all areas in between. As an eye witness to the early 1980's flood, I saw all of these areas underwater for weeks.

I can also tell you that I witnessed many caskets float to the surface in Oaklawn Cemetery as well as formaldehyde pooling before being absorbed into our ground water or running down 11th Street and into our storm drains. The good news is, the flooding can be stopped!

Economic Development!

Besides being a necessary public safety project, The Pearl Project is also an excellent opportunity for economic development that will pay for itself!

Unanimously adopted by the City Council in 2006, the 6th Street Infill Plan provides a unique opportunity to alleviate the flooding from the Elm Creek Basin as well as provide an large opportunity for new homes, businesses and therefore, jobs. The CoT is in the final stages of purchasing 4.5 acres in the East Pearl District that has been designated as a flood control pond in the 6th Street Infill Plan as well as the Storm Water Master Drainage Plan. The CoT committed to stopping the flooding in the Elm Creek Basin with building Phase I of the overall 3 phase flood control project, Centennial Park. But, phase I can't stop the flooding by itself. The Pearl Project proposes we stop the flooding by building Phase II in accordance with the 6th Street Infill Plan and the Storm Water Master Drainage Plan. Building the East Pearl Pond will alleviate most if not all of the flooding in the Elm Creek Basin.

Shovel Ready Opportunity!

According to Tulsa's Comprehensive Plan, Land use plan Build-out capacity: "Floodplains were assumed to develop at 50%, assuming engineering and mitigation is used." With this statement alone, we expect to see at least 1500 new homes which will yield approximately, 3510 new people in the East Pearl District alone. The projections of sales and property taxes generated are in the millions of dollars per year. Please see our final submission for more accurate figures with references. These homes will support a dense walkable district that will in itself reduce the need for a car, promote health by building an environment that is safe for the pedestrian and encourages walking or riding a bike. This kind of dense residential design will help to reduce the cost of city services such as electricity, gas, water, refuse as well as police, fire and EMSA due to a large reduction in infrastructure costs. It costs a lot less to provide services to areas that are densely populated. The closer people live to each other, the less material, investment and man power are needed to provide services to the area.

But, what if the build-out is more than 1500 new homes? Imagine if that number were doubled?. According to the Tulsa 2030 Goal, a 50% build-out is likely a very conservative estimate.

This scale of possible residential development provides a great incentive and sustainable support for existing businesses in the Pearl District. This kind of build-out development will also provide more customers for downtown Tulsa and the new businesses who already want to locate in the trendy Pearl District, not to mention budding areas close by, like the East Village, Kendall Whittier and Forest Orchard. The Pearl Project could provide the catalyst for all of them to develop and more.

Mass Transit

The Pearl District is also slated for improved mass transit via the BRT which has been approved for the Pearl in the very near future. Long range plans call for a railed trolly that will connect downtown to T.U. and perhaps the fairgrounds, running right through the Pearl District. These alternative forms of transportation will provide our citizens with economical transportation without the recourse of a car. This type of dense urban design with reliable mass transit goes a long way to reducing our carbon foot print which helps our environment and boosts income for our city. Dense walkable neighborhoods appeal to the young professionals who are leaving our city in large numbers because we, the CoT, have not provided one community designed for dense urban living. If we can't provide them with the kind of city life they want, then we will continue to lose the brightest and most capable young professionals to other more progressive cities that already offer dense walkable urban communities.

Other opportunities

So far I have only mentioned the opportunities in East Pearl District. If you will, consider the opportunities that will unfold for the other areas that I mentioned above who are also located in the Elm Creek Flood Plain. Once removed from the flooding, areas like Gunboat can be developed. Business owners and investors at 18th and Boston, which is currently being considered for further development, won't have to worry about losing their investments to flooding. Insurance costs will be reduced and sales and property taxes will rise exponentially thereby providing our city and our school system with much needed infusions of capital.

Our final figures will show that the Pearl Project will not only pay for itself in time but, provide a healthy return on the investment while protecting public safety and property at the same time.

The Pearl Plan mirrors the Comprehensive Plan in many areas, especially land use. We propose to use abandoned, underutilized buildings and lots and turn them into opportunities for economic development, mass transit, healthy lifestyles and dense sustainable living. We are providing prime land for reinvestment areas and a corridor that will eventually lead from downtown to T.U. or further.

For our public safety and the potential of a large positive impact for economic development in the Elm Creek Flood Basin, I encourage you all to approve funding for the Pearl Project.

Please note this quote from our Comprehensive Plan concerning the 6th Street Infill Plan.

"Best practices in small area planning
The 6th Street Infill Plan

The 6th Street Infill (Pearl District) Plan, approved
by the City Council in 2006 should serve as a “best
practices” model for how to conduct and structure
a small area plan. The plan thoroughly covers many
aspects of the study areas, from historical context to
development challenges and constraints. It clearly lays
out a vision for the area and recommendations for land
use, zoning, and investments that will help achieve the
vision.

A crucial element of the plan was the integration of
an alternative floodplain management scheme for the
area, which threatened to undermine redevelopment
prospects for the area. This alternative design was
developed in coordination with the Public Works
Department and the 6th Street planning area Task
Force. The resulting design will turn storm water
management from a potential liability to a major
amenity for the neighborhood by integrating it with
recreational space. This is the sort of neighborhood
planning that other neighborhoods in Tulsa could
benefit from — visionary, yet pragmatic".
PLANiTULSA

Thank you for your consideration,

Dave Strader
Business and property owner in the Pearl District
Neighborhood advocate and volunteer city planner
The Pearl District Association, board