The fairgrounds hosted a meeting on Wednesday night allowing neighbors to discuss their concerns regarding fairgrounds operations -- first and foremost of which was parking during events, specifically during the state fair. Residents from Mayo Meadow were well-represented at the meeting and were able to express their views.
Public officials on hand for the meeting included County Commissioner Randy Miller, State Rep. Jeanie McDaniel, City Councilor Maria Barnes, fair board member Clark Brewster, and Expo Square president/CEO Rick Bjorklund. The MMNA board is appreciative to the county officials for holding the meeting, which allowed both sides to open the dialogue about how all sides can work together to be better neighbors. Many issues were brought up, and this entry is an attempt to summarize some of the primary topics discussed.
County officials were presented with several ideas that would encourage smoother traffic flow in the area during the fair, provide increased signage about parking, and encourage the use of the shuttle system, among other ideas.
Parking issues in the neighborhood were more prominent this year because the Tulsa Police Department could not fully utilize reserve officers in and around the fairgrounds due to increased requirements for having those reserve officers directly supervised during their rounds.
Parking in our neighborhood during fairgrounds events will likely always be an issue for residents who live adjacent to the fairgrounds, especially while there is a lack of on-site parking at the fairgrounds proper. To that end, the county officials said they were looking at options to add more surface parking at the fairgrounds. Space for those parking lots would be created if Driller Stadium, Big Splash Water Park or Bell's Amusement Park were vacated by current tenants. Several times, Miller notes that Big Splash is the most likely tenant to vacate and then turn into parking spaces. She also said that if downtown development at the East End project receives TIF funding that the Tulsa Drillers would be vacating Driller Stadium for a new location in that development. Either option would provide parking, but at the loss of "quality of life" attractions in the midtown area.
The most contentious area of discussion during the meeting centered on the issue of allowing yard parking during the fair. According to a show of hands during the meeting, about 2/3 of the attendees were in favor of enforcing city ordinances banning parking cars on lawns, while about 1/3 were in favor of allowing cars to be parked on lawns.
Those against yard parking emphasized that such practices limit the ability of emergency vehicles to access houses where cars are parked tightly around homes and also increases the opportunity for fire hazards. Finally, those who voiced opposition to yard parking noted the practice negatively impacts the appearance of the neighborhood, which in turn has a negative effect on property values.
Those in favor of yard parking stated the city ordinances unfairly restricted their property rights.
This issue will likely be contentious for the neighborhood association to address. The majority of communication to the MMNA has been in favor of enforcing existing city ordinances that ban parking cars on yards.
A committee of MMNA leadership and residents have met to discuss the issue, and the recommendation from that committee recommended that the MMNA move forward with plans to urge the city and county to work together to find appropriate options to have parking and traffic regulations enforced during large scale events at the fairgrounds. Some of these measures would include increased fines for improper parking, higher fines for homeowners who allow commercial yard parking, creating tow-away zones for cars parked on the "No Parking During Events" side of the street, and more clearly marking "no parking" areas around intersections so that visibility is maintained.
While the MMNA understand the concerns of property owners regarding their property rights, the board disagrees that the practice of yard parking has a neutral impact on the neighborhood. The board has expressed concern that yard parking has negative implications for the health, safety, appearance, and value for property owners who allow yard parking and for their neighbors. When a practice (such as yard parking) has negative implications beyond property lines, we believe that the interest of the larger group (the neighborhood as a whole) should be protected through the enforcement of existing city laws.
And we encourage you to contact city/county officials on the issue:
City Councilor Maria Barnes, Dist. 4: mbarnes@tulsacouncil.org
County Commissioner Randi Miller: rmiller@tulsacounty.org
Rick Bjorklund, Expo Square President/CEO: rbjorklund@exposquare.com
At day's end, we still have to be neighbors regardless of where we stand on the issue. The MMNA board encourages both sides of the issue to exercise civility as this issue plays out in the coming months. Stay tuned for future developments.
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