Mayor of Norman to listen to Citizen Concerns regarding Turnpikes?

City of Norman must stand up and vocally fight back before it's too late

Monday, May 20th at 7 pm out by the lake at the Lakeview Baptist Church on 108th Ave we will host the Mayor to provide us with what he knows about the OTA’s build plans.

Keep this in mind when you are formulating your questions for the Mayor… and ask yourself why, now, does the Mayor want information from us, the Citizen. It’s been two years.

Here is what have heard of the OTA’s build and design plans…..

The section of the east west connector between I-44 and I-35 is now called the East- West Express (That’s from Newcastle to I-35 at Indian Hills). It's well into design. The first construction project is scheduled to start Spring 2026 and the last construction project should end mid summer of 2028.

The East-West Connector now officially starts at I-35 and ends at I-40 (at the Kickapoo). However, the only portion that is a defined route that is under design starts at I-35 and stops about even with Timberline Court. 

All of this section will be south of Indian Hills Road, about a 550' wide swath.  The rest of the route east of that is a mystery because they don't have a defined route for the South Extension and they don't know where it will meet the East-West.

Echelle said back in February that the OTA would have to do an alignment study for the South Extension. We imagine they are trying to identify all the properties of elected officials and other VIPs in an attempt to work around them with new alignments.

This is similar to what they did with Rep. John Echols (House Floor Leader) on the Tri City Connector…. they moved the Tri City Connector out of John Echols property and onto the Will Rogers Airport property knowing the FAA would not approve it, and when John Echols leaves the legislature this year, and he has no more power to legislate oversight on the OTA, they will move the route back and take his house.

So let’s think about what we have the power to do now…. still lots of options, but we have to move relatively quickly.

Here are my some of my questions/statements for our Mayor.

“Why hasn’t the OTA officially shared their construction and design-build plans with the residents?”

"Why all the continued secrecy?”

“How will the City of Norman ensure that proper permitting protocols are followed when the OTA asks to build the east-west connector in the protected green-spaces along the Little River, which is the inflow of our drinking water of Lake Thunderbird?”

“Has the OTA approached the City of Norman yet for permission to build? The City of Norman can deny permits to build. Will you?”

What constructive and solution oriented topic do you want to discuss with the Mayor?
He works for us.. he should be vocally and publicly and consistently holding the line for us.

Will you be there? Read our proposed resolution below. Do you support this resolution we are asking him to sign? Will you encourage our City Council members and the Mayor to sign this resolution?

Please come out and join your community of turnpike fighters to show the Mayor our fight is not over.

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A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, CITING THE FAILURE OF THE OKLAHOMA TURNPIKE AUTHORITY (OTA) TO PROVIDE ANY STUDIES OR INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESS OKLAHOMA’S IMPACT ON LAKE THUNDERBIRD; CITING THE LACK OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY OTA TO SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY TURNPIKES THROUGH THE NORMAN CITY LIMITS, AND EXPRESSING THE CITY’S OPPOSITION TO THE OKLAHOMA TURNPIKE AUTHORITY’S ‘ACCESS OKLAHOMA’ PLAN AS IT IMPACTS NORMAN.

§ 1. WHEREAS, in 1987, the Oklahoma Legislature authorized the Oklahoma Turnpike

Authority (OTA) to construct “[A]ll or any part of an Oklahoma City Outer Loop

expressway system beginning in the vicinity of I-35 and the Turner Turnpike and

extending west into Canadian County and then south to I-40; and then south and

east to I-35 in the vicinity of Moore and Norman; and then extending east and north

to I-40 east of Tinker Field; and then extending north to the Turner Turnpike to

complete the Outer Loop (69 O.S. §1705.E.20); and

§ 2. WHEREAS, in 1993, the Oklahoma Legislature authorized the OTA to construct

“[A] new turnpike and bridge or any parts thereof from a point in the vicinity of the

city of Mustang southerly across the South Canadian River to the H.E. Bailey

Turnpike in the vicinity of the city of Tuttle; and then easterly across the South

Canadian River to a point in the vicinity of the city of Norman” (69 O.S.

§1705.E.28); and

§ 3. WHEREAS, in 1995, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG)

adopted the Encompass 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan for Central

Oklahoma recommending, among other things, the construction of a freeway outer

loop in the north, west and south parts of the Oklahoma City region and reservation

of a “conceptual corridor” east of I-35 for the eventual construction of an eastern

section to the loop when traffic volumes warrant such a facility; and

§ 4. WHEREAS, at its meeting of February 25, 1997, the City Council adopted the

NORMAN 2020 Land Use and Transportation Plan which included a proposed

alignment for an Outer Loop generally entering Norman at Indian Hills and 48th

Avenue NW and going southeast between Franklin Road and Tecumseh Road and

then heading north east and exiting Norman east of 48th Avenue NE; and

§ 5. WHEREAS, in the late 1990’s, an Outer Loop Major Investment Study (MIS) was

commissioned by ACOG, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT),

and the OTA;

§ 6. WHEREAS, ODOT was also studying the viability of a possible Interstate 35 Trade

Corridor Bypass around the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area; and

§ 7. WHEREAS, after learning that a connection between ODOT’s possible Trade

Corridor Bypass and the Outer Loop was being considered, the City Council

adopted Resolution R-9899-65 supporting a “no-build” option; and

§ 8. WHEREAS, the MIS demonstrated that only the southwest portion of the Outer

Loop was viable; and

§ 9. WHEREAS, ACOG’s Encompass 2025 Plan showed only the southwestern

portion of the Outer Loop that had been determined to be viable and the

Encompass 2030 Plan designated this portion of the Loop as an alternate due to

difficulties in obtaining rights of way reported by Oklahoma City and Moore; and

§ 10. WHEREAS, no portion of the Outer Loop was included in subsequent Encompass Plans, including 2035, 2040, and 2045; and

§ 11. WHEREAS, at its meeting of November 16, 2004, the City Council adopted the

Norman 2025 Land Use and Transportation Plan, which initially showed a

proposed outer loop along a brief section of the northern City limits boundary

between 48th Avenue NW and I-35; and

§ 12. WHEREAS, the City adopted its first standalone Comprehensive Transportation

Plan in May 2014 after a 45 member Citizen Oversight Committee worked closely

with the City and its consultant to develop the proposed plan; and

§ 13. WHEREAS, the City’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan did not contemplate

the construction of any turnpikes within Norman; and

§ 14. WHEREAS, Lake Thunderbird serves as the primary drinking water supply source for Del City, Midwest City and Norman; and

§ 15. WHEREAS, Lake Thunderbird was designated a sensitive water supply by the

State of Oklahoma in 2002 pursuant to the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards

anti-degradation policy; and

§ 16. WHEREAS, Lake Thunderbird was placed on the Oklahoma Department of

Environmental Quality’s 303(d) list of Impaired Waterbodies in 2010 because it

was not meeting minimum standards for water quality; and

§ 17. WHEREAS, the primary reason for Lake Thunderbird being placed on the 303(d)

list of Impaired Waterbodies was nutrient and sediment loading, like nitrogen,

phosphorus, and suspended solids that result in large part from stormwater runoff

in developed areas of the Lake Thunderbird watershed; and

§ 18. WHEREAS, in 2010, in an effort to protect Lake Thunderbird from further

deterioration, the City adopted its Water Quality Protection Zone ordinance to limit

development adjacent to streams in the Lake Thunderbird watershed; and

§ 19. WHEREAS, in 2013, the City also adopted a fertilizer ordinance to restrict the

application of phosphorus to lawns in order to positively impact the effects of

urbanized run-off flowing into Lake Thunderbird; and

§ 20. WHEREAS, since the issuance by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental

Quality of total maximum daily load limits of controllable pollutants, the Cities of

Norman, Oklahoma City, and Moore have been required to undertake certain

pollution reduction measures as part of each city’s municipal separate storm sewer

systems (MS4) permit to protect and improve the quality of Lake Thunderbird; and

§ 21. WHEREAS, the proposed Access Oklahoma turnpike routes in Norman are

located in the Lake Thunderbird watershed and in the Little River drainage area,

one of the largest tributaries to Lake Thunderbird; and

§ 22. WHEREAS, that, after being moved by Resolution R-2122-106, passed March

22, 2022 by this Council, to conduct an extensive study of its proposed turnpike

construction plans and their impact on the Lake Thunderbird watershed and to

share the results of such study publicly and with the City of Norman prior to

moving forward on any plans, OTA has failed to conduct said study after over

two years have passed, and has instead moved forward on its turnpike plans,

as evidenced by its statements on the ACCESS Oklahoma website; and

§ 23. WHEREAS, that, failing any studies or information provided by OTA as noted

above, and noting that OTA has had over two years to provide said information,

insufficient information exists to support the construction of the I-44 / East-West

Connector or the South extension and its exchanges (previously known as the

Kickapoo turnpike extension) through rural areas of North and East Norman.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA:

§ 24. That, without the information noted in § 22 and § 23, the City of Norman

opposes the construction of all turnpikes proposed to occur within Norman

City limits.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this _____ day of ____________________________, 2024.

_________________________________

Mayor Larry Heikkila

ATTEST: __________________________

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PIKE OFF OTA (501 c4) and Oklahomans for Responsible Transportation, Foundation (501 c3) are leading the charge in legal injunctive avenues and legislative reform and they could use your help. They are trying to dismantle a corrupt Goliath within our state and are doing a great job. Be part of the solution!

www.pikeoffota.com

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