Fight over SB 647 objectively and relevantly funny

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Say “Yes” to “No.”

NIMBYs aren’t known for being agreeable about much, but they sure know how to band together. When any proposal, big or small, threatens their bubble, no city council meeting is safe.

The latest battle may be their biggest foe yet, however, as the Oklahoma Legislature considers Senate Bill 647, which would require city governing boards and planning commissions to approve plats for any project that meets zoning and code standards. The bill would also require city governing boards and planning commissions to base refusal of plats on “objective and relevant” reasons, such as specific code violations, and publicly articulate reasons for denial.

Right on cue, it should come as no surprise that my NIMBY-heavy hometown of Edmond has already stepped into the ring and joined other cities in opposition to the bill. Critics argue the bill would eliminate key local control over development projects.

Attorney Todd McKinnis recently stated that there is a narrative “out there” about how the City of Edmond is difficult for developers to work with, but he said the narrative is inaccurate. I often find that once a reputation is established, it’s hard to get rid of, and Edmond certainly isn’t going to shake the “difficult” adjective anytime soon.

Most of the time, when I draw a comic about the issues covered by NonDoc’s Edmond Civic Reporting Project, it involves someone saying “No” to something. The most recent example of that was the proposed apartments at the corner of Memorial Road and Interstate 35, but you can look back over the past decade for more great moments in Edmond NIMBY history.

Something like SB 647 has been run by one lawmaker or another many times over the years. The proposal still has a way to go before it could become law, so much like a development proposal, it may not make it through in the end.

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