At Monday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, four applications recommended for approval at last week’s Creek County Planning Commission meeting were duly approved. These included a rezone and lot split to allow two mobile homes and a single family residence at a property on Dusty Trail in Sapulpa, a lot split and an extension of an industrial zone to allow a paint booth on a property in Bristow, a rezone and a lot split to allow for a residential area in what is currently an industrial zone and light office use in what is currently a residential zone on West Highway 33 in Sapulpa, and a rezone from agriculture to light industrial to allow an off-site service contractor’s office and vehicle and equipment storage at a church camp on Ozark Trail in Sapulpa, which would bring the applicant into compliance with County regulations.
The fifth application, for a Planned Unit Development and Preliminary Plat for Childer’s Creek in Kiefer, which was recommended for denial by the CCPC in a 7-1 vote, was passed until the Monday, March 22 BOCC meeting.
The BOCC agreed to pass the application to give the County time to compile a list of concerns, to request a new hydrology report, to obtain additional information on the overall vision of the subdivision, and to allow the developer to address the concerns. All communication is to be handled by the Creek County Planning Office.
County Planner, Wendy Murray, addressed the board on the project, saying that the applicant, Select Designs, requests rezoning to allow a subdivision to be located off S. 49th W. Avenue in Kiefer. The applicant has proposed a single-family subdivision on 24.5 acres, containing 23 to 24 half-acre lots and four reserve areas for a private street and retention pond.
Several concerned neighbors were in attendance wishing to speak to the Board. Concerns included water runoff issues and anticipated problems with the proposed aerobic septic system, such as the small size of the lots for the two required sprinkler heads and the additional intensive owner maintenance required with these systems.
Other issues involve existing oil wells on adjacent properties with lines running across the properties along with power lines, eroding fence lines, easements, traffic concerns, detriment to the existing wildlife, and anticipated power shortages in the area due to an already overburdened power grid.
Stephens stated, “It is the Board’s duty to do what is best for the county and protect the citizens at the same time…let’s get some more facts before moving forward. This will give everyone the opportunity to address concerns or submit ones they haven’t thought of yet.”
This was unanimously approved and the application will be revisited on March 22.
The sixth application from last week’s CCPC meeting to be discussed involved a rezoning and lot split from an applicant requesting approval to add a mobile home gifted from his grandmother. While at the first glance a fairly simple case, there is concern from the City of Sapulpa over the multitude of inoperable vehicles located in the property’s flood zone. The applicant and his father have plans to clean up the property and to remove the 15 or so vehicles as soon as weather permits. The CCPC recommended approval, on the condition of the vehicles being removed.
ADA Andrew Goforth suggested that the Board table the item until the vehicles are gone. It was agreed to review the application at the March 22 BOCC meeting to see what progress has been made.
It was unanimously approved to establish the priority of projects for the County Improvements to Roads and Bridges (CIRB) transportation plan for Circuit Engineering District (CED) #1.
The priorities are as follows: 1. District 3, Three Bridges-Deep Fork. 2. District 2, Tribute to Little Salt Creek bridge. 3. District 1, 49th W. Ave-SH 117 to SH 67. 4. District 3, Deep Fork River bridge 5. District 3, Little Deep Fork Creek bridge.
John Blickensderfer, President of GUY Engineering, said that the CIRB fund is $2 million, which is in the negative for Creek County. Although new projects may not be added, existing ones may be prioritized so that when funds become available, they are ready to go. He also made sure the BOCC is aware that CIRB funding was reduced by $42 million as a result of the passage of SB1888.
Warner stated that he approves the priority list, saying, “I would not want to move Salt Creek any further, as it could go out any day, and the alternate route is not great either.” He further stated that Creek County ranks #2 overall out of Oklahoma’s 77 counties in deficient number of bridges, most lying within District #3, so it is imperative that these projects move forward as quickly as possible.
It was approved to extend the emergency COVID-19 resolution one more week. Emergency Management Director Covey Murray stated that as of Friday, February 19, 2021, Creek County had 256 active cases, 37 new cases, and 109 deaths. On February 16, 2021, there were 295 active cases and 106 deaths, and on February 12, 2021 there were 366 active cases. “We are definitely trending downward,” Murray concluded. Warner stated, “I don’t see why we would change anything at this time.”
