Fitzsimmons 1 Emily Fitzsimmons Dr. Wieters RCPL 4213 001 16 October 2019 Zoning and Land Use of W. Lindsey St. This project’s examined site area consists of all lots facing W. Lindsey St. between McGee Dr. and S. Berry Rd. For the most part, the zoning along these blocks is C-2, or general commercial zoning; second to C-2 by a considerable amount is C-1, or local commercial. The remaining lots are zoned as either CO or O-1, which are suburban office commercial and office institutional zoning, respectively. Notably, the surrounding area includes various residential zones, including RM-6, R-3, R-2, and R-1. With this range of zones, the area easily hosts a range of land uses. This aligns with the city’s vision of a mixed-used neighborhood at this site; however, other components of these two blocks as well as Norman’s plans for their future still need major improvements in order to upgrade this site into a successful space. Unsurprisingly, Lindsey St. hosts a diverse set of land uses, but the primary use throughout focuses on food either as catering services or restaurants. There is also a wide array of retail, such as a grocery store, a flower shop, CBD dispensaries, and discount stores. Furthermore, beauty services hold a strong presence here with multiple salon and spa businesses; other service-oriented businesses include a legal firm and cleaning services. The area also houses several banking establishments and quick loan agencies. For recreation, there are some athleticcentered businesses, such as a gym, a dance academy, and a martial arts school. Additionally, government agencies utilize two separate spaces for an old US Postal Service structure and the City of Norman Investigations Center. As for religious use, two churches reside within these two
Fitzsimmons 2 blocks, one of which also owns a detached parking lot adjacent to Classic 50’s. The area used to have three gas stations; however, only one remains as the other two are abandoned. Unfortunately, a large amount of vacant land, abandoned buildings, and empty units speckle the entire area; this underdevelopment is most likely left over from the heavy construction on W. Lindsey St. within the past few years. Apartments of varying densities and styles sit on the peripheries of the site area, hiding behind the businesses; such rental properties fit well because the location provides easy access not only to businesses but also to the University of Oklahoma, which is close by. Beyond these are duplexes and then single-family homes. Many of these land uses are not specifically permitted in Norman’s zoning ordinances, but they are similar enough in intensity and purpose that they are reasonably allowed under the same zoning category. For example, neither a gym nor a martial arts school is stated under C-2 uses, but a dance studio – a comparable business – is. As a result, the relating land uses are permitted in the area as well. Additionally, some of the land uses do not follow the zoning code simply because they have no use; rather, they are undeveloped green spaces or empty buildings. In general, Norman’s current draft of its comprehensive plan follows a thorough triplebottom-line framework in which regulations and agendas are written to improve “places, people, and systems” (Renkins ii). Even so, this proposed comprehensive plan’s potential effectiveness is questionable. For one, the plan is not even adopted yet: The city cannot begin action towards its vision unless there is an established blueprint for the future. Secondly, this plan depends on an update of Norman’s zoning code, which has not been done since the 1950s, further delaying progress (3.45). Moreover, this comprehensive plan touts a mission of vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods throughout its chapters; however, this plan only delegates 2% of Norman’s land to future mixed land uses (3.28). In order to move closer to the desired environmental, social,
Fitzsimmons 3 and economic sustainability, mixed-used areas must occupy much more land. The city should be more aggressive in advancing the comprehensive plan’s framework, adoption, and enforcement to achieve their stated goals. Regarding this site area, the comprehensive plan intends for the plots directly abutting W. Lindsey St. to be mixed use, which typically integrates multifamily housing into commercial, so the neighborhood will be more walkable (Renkins v, 3.9). The comprehensive plan also calls for a range of housing and services within accessible neighborhood nodes, mobility via multiple transportation options, and development of select fields of employment, including commercial jobs (ii, v, 1.20). In several ways, the site area already matches the comprehensive plan. For instance, this area contains a variety of businesses, including stores, restaurants, and banks; this provides nearby residents with products and services, generates a range of jobs, and promotes environmental sustainability via density. Though residences do not face Lindsey, swathes of housing in various styles and densities border the site area, as required in a mixed-use neighborhood. This housing furnishes options for all types of households while, in turn, attracting a diverse customer base for the nearby commercial uses. However, despite the proclaimed wish for mixed-use, the comprehensive plan also sets aside much of the nearby land for future detached, single-family homes, which conflicts with the current, higher-density use (4.13). Lastly, the site area already has alternative transportation infrastructure, including quality sidewalks, clear bike lanes, and a sheltered bus stop; however, the site area is still clearly dominated by cars. Its walkability could be improved by reducing parking lot sizes, placing barriers between the street and bike lanes, installing more benches and bike racks, as well as reducing the speed on W. Lindsey St. Additionally, the safety and usability of this area would improve if the empty buildings were occupied with new businesses. In the coming years, the
Fitzsimmons 4 closed gas stations and green spaces are most likely to be rezoned as they are redeveloped according to Norman’s comprehensive plan; some possibilities include more commercial or residential zoning. Overall, neither the current nor future zoning and land uses for this area are critically bad; however, there are still improvements crucial to the site and to Norman’s comprehensive plan as the city matures. First, before it is approved, the comprehensive plan needs to change its mindset about housing: Instead of focusing so heavily on compact, detached homes, the plan should incorporate higher density housing, such as apartments, townhomes, and duplexes, particularly in mixed-use areas like this one. Such measures promote environmental sustainability, household diversity, and economic growth. Secondly, the city must push for the redevelopment of empty and abandoned buildings to increase the safety and economic activity needed for a successful mixed-use district. Developing the two large green spaces into usable natural environments would further increase safety and happiness while attracting more people to the area. Lastly, the massive parking lots made for the strip malls and churches are wasting valuable space most of the time. Either permanent or temporary businesses and programming should occupy portions of these parking lots. These and similar enhancements to Lindsey St. and Norman’s comprehensive plan would help strengthen this neighborhood not only for the short-term but the long-term as well.
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Abandoned gas station at W. Lindsey St. and S. Berry Rd. intersection
Second abandoned gas station at the intersection of W. Lindsey St. and S. Berry Rd.
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Parking lot to strip mall on W. Lindsey St., near S. Berry Rd.
Church parking lot on W. Lindsey St.
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Unused green space at the intersection of W. Lindsey St. and S. Berry Rd.
Unused green space behind Ray’s Smokehouse and Mr. Hui’s Asian Cuisine and next to Landry Apartments
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Warehouse Flats behind Legend’s Restaurant on W. Lindsey St.
Landry Apartments behind businesses on W. Lindsey St.
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Job advertisements for Legend’s Restaurant
Bike lane on W. Lindsey St.
Fitzsimmons 10 Works Cited City of Norman, GIS Division. “Interactive Map.” City of Norman, Oklahoma, esri, https://normanok.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f69b169befde4e60 80f9b33cbd03f54f. Accessed 8 Oct. 2019. Renkins, Jay, et al. Plan Norman: Comprehensive Plan Update, MIG, Jan. 2018, http://www.plannorman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PlanNorman-Public-DraftPlan_resized.pdf. Accessed 9 Oct. 2019.