TSW Tulsa has completed the development of new zoning codes and design guidelines for the City of Sapulpa. The planning, architecture and landscape architecture firm spent nearly a year working with Sapulpa city staff and a steering committee of local leaders, property owners and developers to create guidelines focused on elements of historic preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic district. The new codes and guidelines govern the appearance, features and usage of the historic district, such as building height, embellishments, additions, awnings, signage, parking, green spaces and more. They will provide the city and other governing bodies with tools to help determine whether or not to approve future development projects.
“We believe these new guidelines will be transformative for Sapulpa, since they safeguard the unique character of the historic district while encouraging and directing future development,” said Katy O’Meilia, TSW senior associate and director of TSW Tulsa. “The new codes were thoughtfully designed to protect the vision of the Master Plan, which serves as a roadmap for Sapulpa’s future.”
Sapulpa is the county seat of Creek County, and is located approximately 12 miles southwest of Tulsa. The city is named for Chief James Sapulpa, a full-blooded Lower Creek who came to Indian Territory from Alabama and established a nearby trading post around 1850. In 1866, the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad extended its line from Red Fork to what became known as Sapulpa Station. A post office was established in 1889, and the town was incorporated nine years later. Most of the current structures within the historic district are around 100 years old.
Sapulpa’s 25-acre historic district is roughly bounded on the north by Hobson Ave, on the south by Thompson Ave., to the west by Poplar St. and to the east by Maple St. East Dewey Ave., which is a section of Route 66, boasts a contiguous line of historic buildings, many of which have been continuously occupied through the decades. The city has recently implemented an Alley Activation project within the district, adding lights, seating, walkways, art and landscaping to the alleyways throughout the area.
About TSW
TSW is a full-service planning, architecture and landscape architecture firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA with offices in Tulsa, OK, Chattanooga, TN and Lexington, KY. The award-winning company was founded in 1990 and specializes in sustainable community design, architecture and landscape architecture. TSW is a leader in the New Urbanist movement and employs a community planning and design process that links tradition and context with today’s cultural and environmental demands.
