By Burt Mummolo, FOX23 News
TULSA, Okla. — “I’m going to start by trying to warn folks about what’s coming here,” said Doug Carey, who has lived in the area of 71st and Union for 24 years.
What could be coming across the street from Lighthouse church is an apartment complex containing a maximum of 275 units.
“We have incredible traffic problems here already at 71st and Union,” he said.
“I think we need additional lanes in Union,” said Tulsa city councilor Anthony Archie. He’s the councilor for the district, and says he’s been listening to his constituents’ varied concerns, including, better infrastructure.
“It does look like a dedicated right turn lane, perhaps three lanes going up and down Union, period. Just having three lanes,” he said.
The project is spearheaded by Dominium Apartments, headquartered in Dallas, which manages more than 40,000 apartment units in 19 states.
The planning commission has voted to recommend approving rezoning the land from agricultural to corridor development plan. Carey meanwhile, says he has a petition signed by more than 300 neighbors opposed to project.
“We’re just asking the city council to put the brakes on this thing for a short time and look, look at how this is going to impact not just the neighbors, this will impact this area forever,” he said.
Archie says his role is to bring the voices of his constituents to the table to give the rest of the council a full understanding of their concerns.
“Of course we need housing across all income levels in the city of Tulsa, and so we want to make that happen, of course we want to build a stronger Tulsa, so we’ve got to build, but we have to build collaboratively, and so that’s what we’re trying to do together,” he said.
