Tuesday evening’s Sapulpa Planning Commission (SPC) meeting included planned housing developments, a look at expanding a church’s parking lot, a medical marijuana processing facility, and a look at the upcoming downtown master plan. Commissioners Hunter Edwards, Lou Martin, Andrew Probst, Kayla Parnell, Julie Longoria, and Jasson Brook were in attendance.
The final plat of a property scheduled to undergo development was approved by the SPC unanimously. The property, located at 7902 S. 33rd West avenue, will be developed into a five-block neighborhood called “Oak Hill,” which will be developed into as many as seventy lots.
Another housing addition, called Rosewood Addition, also had its final plat approved. This addition consists of nineteen lots in one block. According to the staff report, the developer is planning homes that will range from a base price of $230,000 to $300,000 for more customized models. The Rosewood Addition will be located on the southeast corner of Dewey and South Mayfield street. Urban Development Director Nikki Howard said that the planned widening of Dewey Ave near this addition should be complete about the time that the development is finished.
The first non-passing item of the evening was the application for a Specific Use Permit regarding a vacant church located at 704 S. Independence. The property was most recently a Community Group Home operated by Lifegate Freedom Recovery Ministries. The owner, Tulsa United Pentecostal Church, would like to return the facility back into a church, but there’s a problem regarding parking.
At the podium, the applicant stated that their church congregation has grown beyond 100 members and had a need for additional parking. According to the staff report, there is a need for 50 parking spaces (plus ADA spaces), but not enough room to construct any additional parking. Ultimately, Probst suggested they table the item, and a motion to do so was approved. Longoria also suggested that the owners consider other vacant properties. “Downtown Sapulpa has vacant spaces with more parking,” she said.
The only medical marijuana-related item was an SUP by a company called NTCX, LLC for a processing facility on North 2nd Street. Barry Anderson, the Chief Operating Officer for NTCX, talked about their process, which he described as “ethanol extraction of hemp and cannabis biomass,” which doesn’t create a finished product, but rather a “precursor,” which he says will be sold to manufacturers to be placed in edibles and other products.
Anderson was quick to point out the controlled environment that prevented ethanol fumes from escaping, and the use of an electric steam generator to prevent even a spark in the process. The process was safe enough to earn the approval of the Fire Marshal.
When NTCX, which currently occupies a facility in Enid, was asked why they chose to relocate to Sapulpa, Anderson remarked that “We wanted to go somewhere in the greater Tulsa area, and were searching for something that was properly zoned. We found this property that looked very good to us. Sapulpa is a good community. It’s outside of Tulsa, but not so far that you lose the benefit of the big city.”
Lastly, Probst asked about waste disposal, and Anderson brought up another benefit to the process: “It’s food-grade ethanol in our process. So any ethanol that’s leftover will evaporate and we’re looking to partner with a disposal group that will take all of that biomass (once it’s been depleted of the oil) and make it into mulch.” The commissioners nodded approvingly, and generally agreed that the location was one of the best places for a facility of this type. Urban Planning Director Nikki Howard agreed. “It’s a great area,” she said. That item was approved.
The next item to come up was the expansion of the Near Me Mini-Storage facility on West Highway 66. Bart James, representing the owners, said the mini-storage and nearby apartment buildings have been renovated and cleaned up, including kicking out people who were living in the mini-storage units. “It was a real mess,” he said, “[the new owners] put fences up and security cameras and gates, and as it’s become viable, they would like to expand that.” That application was approved as well.
These items passed by the Sapulpa Planning Commission will go before the City Council at the next City Council meeting on June 7th.
