City of Midwest City

In October, 2009, the Midwest City Council adopted a study that was performed on the City’s North Oaks neighborhood for the purpose of improving physical conditions and safety issues within the area. Since that time, both neighborhood residents and city officials, representing numerous departments have become strong partners to advance this effort.

Located on Reno Avenue, just north of the Joe B. Barnes Regional Park, the North Oaks neighborhood is a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that contains forty-eight structures with 175 single family attached units. According to the study, during the original development of the neighborhood in 1979 numerous variances such as lesser right-of-way widths, inverted crown streets with no storm sewer intakes and limited curb and gutter use and minimal depth for parking spaces were allowed. The study also included information that indicated decreased yard setbacks, and, due to private fencing, restricted access to rear yards exists. “Because of all the original variances, and the fact that the most of the property within the development is now rental, with absentee landlords, has created a significant decline in the real property value and overall maintenance and safety of the neighborhood,” Community Development Director Billy Harless said. “The City has a genuine desire to see improvement in all areas, and thus, hired a company to create a study that could be followed for making significant changes,” Harless said.

Some of the original goals for improvements include getting the residents and landlords engaged in their neighborhood, making an assessment and providing recommendations for the enhancement or improvement of the overall land use and related living conditions of the area. The study addressed these goals in various ways, including work on infrastructure as well as aesthetics. Recommended redesigned entrances and exits to the area were also included in study.

According to Harless, because so many of the city departments are participating in the project, many improvements are set to get underway in Phase I, which is focused on the northeast corner of the development. The Phase I plans calls for developing a water detention facility to help with the stormwater drainage issues, creating more parking, building a tot park and green space and adding street lighting. Harless said the city has acquired seven homes from willing sellers to accomplish the plans for this phase. Construction is scheduled to begin soon.

As one of the goals, the city leaders conveyed to the residents in the development that the City has a genuine desire to assist them in improving the neighborhood. According to City Manager J. Guy Henson, the City demonstrated this to the residents by dedicating a lot of resources to them, such as the Community Action Officers, Neighborhood Services, Community Development, Police Department and Code Enforcement. “By reaching out to the residents and providing our full slate of services, we have been successful in gaining their trust. In turn, the residents have embraced our efforts and have joined in with us to improve their neighborhood. This is a great example of how a successful public-private partnership can create much needed change,” Henson said. “It is very important to the City that all of our neighborhoods are safe and function properly.”

As a sign of improvement and participation, Community Action Officer Tommy Lantz said that several landlords have attended the Crime Free Rental Housing program offered by the City. “By attending this eight hour class, property owners learn how to become more effective landlords, what to look for when renting their properties and how to deal with rental issues that might come up,” Lantz said. This information will definitely help the neighborhood improve quickly, Lantz said.

The residents have also organized a very effective neighborhood association that meets monthly. “Typically, they have about 12 people attend the meetings to discuss different issues, ranging from planning social events to neighborhood security,” Neighborhood Services Coordinator Dana Kirkland said. “They enjoy getting together and this coordinated effort has made the residents much closer.”

Kirkland said that the overall attitude from the residents seems to be that they are very appreciative of the efforts the City is making on their behalf and that they look forward to the time that all the phases of the project are completed.

To date, the City has invested approximately $320,000 into the study, acquisition of property and implementation of Phase I, Harless said. Some of the funds were generated through grants, with the balance coming from City funds.

To review the complete study, go to www.midwestcityok.org/community-development.