Neighbors concerned about Bell's Amusement Park near their homes

“For astir 15 years, the Bell Family has looked for a caller location to reopen Bell’s Amusement Park. Their hunt has included imaginable sites successful Broken Arrow and successful different communities astir our metro area. Last week, Robby Bell announced the extremity of his hunt with plans to physique a four-phased amusement parkland successful Broken Arrow connected 102 acres of privately owned spot located eastbound of the Creek Turnpike betwixt Kenosha St. (71st Street) and Houston St. (81st Street).

While the absorption to the announcement to this imaginable backstage improvement has been overwhelmingly positive, determination are galore who person expressed morganatic concerns astir the interaction the projected amusement parkland could person connected the area. The BA assemblage should remainder assured that the Mayor, City Council, and I recognize and stock your concerns astir this project. Therefore, I would similar to instrumentality this accidental to supply immoderate clarity connected what we cognize astatine this clip and hopefully quell immoderate misinformation that has surfaced.

First, Bell’s projected determination has approved zoning for Commercial Heavy that allows for the projected Amusement Park. In aboriginal 2020, the spot was rezoned from Agricultural to Commercial Heavy. This rezoning petition was accordant with the onshore usage program outlined successful our Comprehensive Plan that has been successful spot since 1997 and updated successful 2019. This rezoning process followed each applicable laws, including due announcement of the rezoning to being sent to spot owners wrong 300 feet of the property, work of the announcement successful the Tulsa World and Wagoner Tribune newspapers, and the posting of signs connected Kenosha and Houston streets advertizing the rezoning exertion would beryllium heard during a nationalist gathering of the Planning Commission. Notably, connected May 21, 2020 the Planning Commission recommended support of the rezoning petition followed by City Council support successful its nationalist gathering connected June 2, 2020. At neither nationalist gathering did anyone talk for oregon against the rezoning request. At immoderate constituent thereafter, the owners decided to merchantability their backstage property.

Second, presently determination is nary improvement exertion earlier the City for consideration. As a result, the City is not alert of the timeline for the project. However, Mr. Bell did authorities that he’d similar for the archetypal signifier to beryllium unfastened successful astir 2 years and the different 3 phases would travel successful astir one-year increments. Again, the 102 acres is backstage property, and it is undeveloped. If this task moves forward, the developer volition person to travel guardant and unafraid each applicable metropolis approvals, which volition see immoderate nationalist gathering of the Planning Commission and yet the City Council. When that clip comes, we volition alert the nationalist with beforehand notice.

When an exertion and tract program for improvement is filed, this volition beryllium the City’s accidental to reappraisal the projected improvement program vs. our codes AND measure the imaginable impacts (e.g., traffic, stormwater, noise, lighting, hours of operation, dependable barriers, nationalist safety, etc.) the parkland could person connected our community. Until specified clip arsenic we person an exertion determination is thing for america to reappraisal regarding the park. Notwithstanding, we volition beryllium researching what we tin to see the economical impact, postulation & nationalist infrastructure needs, and nationalist information concerns. We volition besides beryllium talking to applicable authorities agencies that whitethorn necessitate permitting of amusement parks.

Finally, the City of Broken Arrow promoted Mr. Bell’s property lawsuit but has not provided immoderate economical incentives for Bell’s caller Amusement Park. The City volition measure immoderate aboriginal requests for economical incentives from Bell’s investors conscionable arsenic we would with immoderate different economical improvement project, namely by considering the project’s economical benefits to the assemblage including occupation creation, income taxation procreation and summation to tourism. This process would see a thorough reappraisal of their concern plan. Please enactment that immoderate public-private concern indispensable beryllium approved by the City Council and would beryllium done truthful with afloat transparency.

In closing, we are astatine the proverbial starting enactment of this task and determination is simply a agelong mode to spell and galore hurdles for the developer to wide earlier immoderate rides open! I sincerely admit the passionateness and pridefulness our citizens person for maintaining a large prime of beingness successful our fantastic city. The governing assemblage and I person that aforesaid passionateness and pridefulness and lone privation the champion for our assemblage not conscionable lone today, but for tomorrow, and good into the future. Look for much updates arsenic larn much astir the project.”