Mayor Cornett acknowledged the disadvantages of sprawl.

[okcustu]

I was at a political seminar yesterday; the luncheon speaker was Mayor Mick. Whatever your opinion of him, the man can speak (years of broadcast experience). It was refreshing to hear him expand his normal talking points. His usual mantra is that he, as a mayor, has no real control over many issues, so his goal is to create more jobs. At this luncheon he admitted that it takes more than just jobs to make Oklahoma City better. Very interestingly, he did criticize sprawl as a barrier to making OKC a great city. He advocated for density and "giving the inner city a chance to compete". He also said the city needs to ease off it's overreliance on the car. Now he just just has to follow through this. I do have to wonder what the "compete" statement means?

[mcca7596]

Nice to hear; I figured he would advocate having both options (strong suburbs and inner city). I really hope that some tangible planning changes, that can help mitigate sprawl, come from PlanOKC. Was there a palpable reaction to his comments among the audience?

[okcustu]

Yeah especially among the students I was sitting with. I want to participate with the PlanOKC process, it sounds like fun actually.

[Larry OKC]

Don't take this as a slam at all as something a politician says is always news to someone who hasn't heard it before. The Mayor has been saying such things for several years now in his State of the City speeches, comments during Council meetings etc. He is following through (especially with the car issue), he seems committed to it with the transit portion of MAPS 3 as the first step.

[okcustu]

Don't take this as a slam at all as something a politician says is always news to someone who hasn't heard it before. The Mayor has been saying such things for several years now in his State of the City speeches, comments during Council meetings etc. He is following through (especially with the car issue), he seems committed to it with the transit portion of MAPS 3 as the first step.

None taken, I'd say I'm say I'm above the average citizen in my knowledge of local politics (by no means an expert). I haven't him speak a few times before and never heard him mention sprawl or say it's about more than just jobs, that's all. I will definitely give him point for championing the streetcar.

[Edgar]

does the Mayor actually have any cred left with anyone?

[OkieDave]

He also said: We have a huge sprawling city, the engineers have made the city work well for the car and move traffic around fast but it is unsustainable, and that it is no coincidence we have a 30% obesity rate, we will need to increase density.

[Spartan]

I was at a political seminar yesterday; the luncheon speaker was Mayor Mick. Whatever your opinion of him, the man can speak (years of broadcast experience). It was refreshing to hear him expand his normal talking points. His usual mantra is that he, as a mayor, has no real control over many issues, so his goal is to create more jobs. At this luncheon he admitted that it takes more than just jobs to make Oklahoma City better. Very interestingly, he did criticize sprawl as a barrier to making OKC a great city. He advocated for density and "giving the inner city a chance to compete". He also said the city needs to ease off it's overreliance on the car. Now he just just has to follow through this. I do have to wonder what the "compete" statement means?

What he means is that you have to level the playing field for the inner city to be able to compete with the suburbs, which have built up so much inertia. Do we ever talk about when a suburban developer builds hundreds of spec homes out in the burbs at once? No, of course not. All of this attention that downtown is getting is kind of like affirmative action in terms of competing for development resources and activity. We want downtown to succeed, usually.

But he has always "talked this big game" on urbanism, or at least once he shifted his focus to downtown.

[okcustu]

No, I know what the idea means I just how is he going to do that. The top thing that comes to mind is something that I saw on this board, a sprawl tax included in property tax if a new house is too far from existing infastructure. However I don't see a free market conservative Republican going for that.

[Spartan]

No, I know what the idea means I just how is he going to do that. The top thing that comes to mind is something that I saw on this board, a sprawl tax included in property tax if a new house is too far from existing infastructure. However I don't see a free market conservative Republican going for that.

You can simply introduce the tax in the form of... not putting in the infrastructure. Live far out, okay, don't expect A+ city services or infrastructure. That's the problem we have here.

[Just the facts]

You can simply introduce the tax in the form of... not putting in the infrastructure. Live far out, okay, don't expect A+ city services or infrastructure. That's the problem we have here.

That's right. If you want to live out near Mustang no problem. Get a well, septic tank, haul off your own trash, and wait 20 minutes for a fire truck. Don't expect a paved road to your front door either.

[SoonerDave]

That's right. If you want to live out near Mustang no problem. Get a well, septic tank, haul off your own trash, and wait 20 minutes for a fire truck. Don't expect a paved road to your front door either.

That's part of the consequence of the city having annexed so much land waaaaaaaaaay back in the 60's when it was thought to be such a good idea, because no one lived out there. In retrospect, little ol' Moore turned out to be a bit of a visionary in that they fought the effort to be annexed, and won, maintaining their own identity as a city and their own school system......

[betts]

It would be nice if he could change the weather as well. It's hard to walk anywhere after 9 in the morning or before 2 a.m. when the heat is like this.

[Just the facts]

If you look at past comments from City officials you will see that most city spending is on the fringe - new roads, new water lines, new sewar lines, new fire stations, new police stations. We are spending a lot of money to keep building further out, and what does all that spending accomplish? Nothing, because the developers just keep building further out. Imagine if all the spending on sprawl for the past 20 years was concentrated in the already urbanized part of OKC. It would be so much better. The tax savings alone would be huge.

[okcustu]

Agreed. I've always said there's something wrong with sidewalks being built at 178th and Penn when the sidewalks are crumbling at 10th and Penn. Also you have to imagine that the heat has really been stretching city crews; I believe I heard an average of half a dozen water main breaks a day?!

[Larry OKC]

GASP...there are sidewalks at 10th & Penn? (I kid)

For whatever reason, sidewalks weren't a priority but that has changed in the past few years (they are required in new development, which might explain why they in 'sprawl" areas) and they are slowly adding them whenever they widen the streets (in the 2007 general obligation bond issue). Then there is the relatively small $10 million included in MAPS 3 to add more.

[Spartan]

GASP...there are sidewalks at 10th & Penn? (I kid)

It would be shocking, I know. I see people nearly get run over on the side of the road every day on the south side.

[rcjunkie]

It would be shocking, I know. I see people nearly get run over on the side of the road every day on the south side.

Just because an area doesn't have sidewalks, State or City Law doesn't require that you walk in the street. Most shoes/boots are compatible with walking in and or, on grass/dirt.

[Questor]

Just because an area doesn't have sidewalks, State or City Law doesn't require that you walk in the street. Most shoes/boots are compatible with walking in and or, on grass/dirt.

When I moved to Norman I noticed I have started seeing many more disabled folks / people with physical challenges out and about here. It donned on me recently why that is the case... we simply have better sidewalks and better mass transit because of the university. Putting myself in someone else's shoes, I imagine if I were in a wheelchair that not having a sidewalk might be an incredible impediment. Not having good sidewalks isn't just an inconvenience, it can really be a quality of life issue for some.

[leprechaun]

When deciding on where to build sidewalks, we need not look further than the miles of dirt trails seen in various parts of the city by the side of the road.

[soonerguru]

Just because an area doesn't have sidewalks, State or City Law doesn't require that you walk in the street. Most shoes/boots are compatible with walking in and or, on grass/dirt.

Didn't you used to be a city employee? If so, I'm glad you're a retired city employee, as apparently this was the level of thinking going on in city government for the last 40 years.

[Spartan]

September 6. It will be a very huge event.

Just because an area doesn't have sidewalks, State or City Law doesn't require that you walk in the street. Most shoes/boots are compatible with walking in and or, on grass/dirt.

Are you seriously defending our NO SIDEWALKS? You are reactionary toward anything.

[Snowman]

September 6. It will be a very huge event.

Just because an area doesn't have sidewalks, State or City Law doesn't require that you walk in the street. Most shoes/boots are compatible with walking in and or, on grass/dirt.

Are you seriously defending our NO SIDEWALKS? You are reactionary toward anything.

They do not seem to be supporting not having sidewalks built, but having an issue with one way people are dealing with the lack of proper sidewalks.

[Pete]

The Mayor knows the evils of sprawl just from his personal experience living in OKC.

I went to high school with him at Putnam City and at that time (late 70's) the PC district was the best in the state and a great source of pride for the City of OKC. This was especially important after many fled the OKC school district after all types of problems in the 60's.

He now lives in Lansbrook and the PC North district which was the better part of the PC district for a while, but has now faded fast just like the rest of the area.

So now, virtually everyone that Mick & I went to high school with lives in far, far north OKC or Edmond and has their kids in the Edmond schools. And of course, the neighborhoods where we grew up are now not so hot (and I'm being very kind here).

Basically, every generation, the concentric ring of neglect and abandonment moves out another five miles or so -- and we are talking about areas that were once considered the best in town. This is not only horrible for the city itself, but it's clearly not sustainable.

Anyone that went to Northwest Classen in the 60's, Putnam City in the 70's or Putnam North in the 80's can see these trends clear as day and it's very, very depressing.

[okcustu]

The Mayor knows the evils of sprawl just from his personal experience living in OKC.

I went to high school with him at Putnam City and at that time (late 70's) the PC district was the best in the state and a great source of pride for the City of OKC. This was especially important after many fled the OKC school district after all types of problems in the 60's.

He now lives in Lansbrook and the PC North district which was the better part of the PC district for a while, but has now faded fast just like the rest of the area.

So now, virtually everyone that Mick & I went to high school with lives in far, far north OKC or Edmond and has their kids in the Edmond schools. And of course, the neighborhoods where we grew up are now not so hot (and I'm being very kind here).

Basically, every generation, the concentric ring of neglect and abandonment moves out another five miles or so -- and we are talking about areas that were once considered the best in town. This is not only horrible for the city itself, but it's clearly not sustainable.

Anyone that went to Northwest Classen in the 60's, Putnam City in the 70's or Putnam North in the 80's can see these trends clear as day and it's very, very depressing.

That's one of the downsides to sprawl that people don't think about. Instead of investing in PCO and PCW new families take the taxes and, almost as important, the interest out of district. Sadly it will probably take problems on the same level of OKCPS before people start to taking interest in the inner ring suburban school districts.