During its meeting Monday night, the Edmond City Council approved a speculative plan to introduce a “campus corner” area with new housing and retail west of the University of Central Oklahoma, a mixed-use “new urbanist” development called Liberty Park and a 7 Brew drive-thru coffee shop at Edmond Road and Kelly Avenue.
Of the three projects, the University District plan poses the most significant change for Edmond. City and UCO officials are embarking on a partnership to develop the area connecting UCO and downtown Edmond by creating an entertainment area designed for pedestrian access. Plans for additional parking are also in the works as some current parking lots may become businesses, council members were told. Fast casual dining, a coffee shop and a recreational space like Chicken n Pickle or Dave & Busters finished as the three most desired additions by students surveyed about the project.
AJ Kirkpatrick, director of urban planning for ADG Blatt, shared the firm’s vision for the district.
“We needed to continue to focus on improving neighborhood connectivity to downtown hubs like Broadway and Stephenson Park to the south, and wherever possible, promote multi-level transportation through protected bike lanes, sidewalks and safer crossings,” Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick said the new district designation will move Edmond toward the same goals as other city improvements, especially regarding Edmond’s housing needs.
“I wanted to increase the total of housing units to support legalization and address affordability with different housing types,” he said. “We wanted a new campus learning commercial development on University Drive, Main Street and Campbell Street. We saw that private development on Campbell Street is strengthening that connection to Old North already.”
Ward 4 Councilman Phil Fraim shared his support for the district concept.
“I want to stop anybody out there who quickly jumps to the subject that this is nothing more than a failed (plan) that’s already been tried and failed entertainment district. If you look at this plan, this is so much more than just entertainment. Yeah, there’s entertainment, and our students at UCO deserve to have entertainment and college experience. But there’s residential, commercial, office, retail, things that we need in Edmond,” Fraim said. “So it supports both the life and elevates the life of the citizens of Edmond, but the college experience has got to be incredibly better. I thank you guys for taking into account the multimodal transportation, the walkability, the connectivity to downtown is one of the things the city’s trying to get is campus to downtown and back the other direction. So I can’t say enough good things about it.”
Liberty Park preliminary plat approved
The Liberty Park development, first introduced to the Edmond City Council in 2023, received preliminary plat approval Monday. The project is proposed to be similar to the Wheeler District development in OKC, which features a walkable community with housing, restaurants and shops.
“The project proposes private streets and access will be provided along Coffee Creek Road as well as to adjacent properties to the east, north and west to achieve the key goals of this project related to mobility and safety, especially those that make it safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to walk, bike and scoot throughout the neighborhood,” Edmond director of planning Ken Bryan said.
Ward 3 Councilman, Preston Watterson, shared his excitement about the project.
“This is a different kind of thing than we’re used to developing around here. So I appreciate you guys working hard with the city staff,” Watterson said. “I appreciate staff being open-minded on this, and I think it points out some changes that we probably need to incorporate going forward to be able to accommodate beautiful places like this.”
The council also approved a new 7 Brew drive-thru coffee shop at Edmond Road and Kelly Avenue.
“I just want to say that I’m excited. I thought [Ward 1 Councilwoman Maggie Murdock Nichols] might say something about this, but I’m excited to see something finally going in there. It has been an incredibly tough site to deal with,” Mayor Mark Nash said. “I think on that south side with Sonic makes perfect sense for what we’ve got going on there, it gets a little bit more of a buffer from the street to the north, which I think a lot of people appreciate. It’s doing something with a lot that has sat there, and I’ve just scratched my head driving by it for years. So thank you.”
‘You better damn well listen to her’
Barry Hutchinson, owner of Hutchinson Construction, LLC, received approval of a plan amendment for a largely vacant property he owns at Covell Road and Bryant Avenue. Hutchinson presented his proposal for a multi-family residence with a total of 16 units laid out in three duplex units and two five-unit townhouse buildings. The preliminary design for the homes is a townhouse style made with bricks.
Hutchinson, who resides on Covell a few hundred feet from his plot, plans to design a right turn-in, right turn-out entrance until the four-lane Covell Parkway is developed. The amendment failed 2-2 when presented to the Edmond Planning Commission on June 17, but the council took it up anyway Monday.
Mary Welch, a resident who lives near the plot, spoke against the proposal Monday night.
“This lot is part of our neighborhood, and it shares a fence with many of the neighbors’ yards. This is not an isolated spot. It affects our neighborhood and the many neighborhoods in the area. We have a nice, quiet neighborhood, and this apartment will bring in increased noise,” Welch said. “How many parking spaces are there going to be per unit? Probably two (cars per unit), like 32 (total), that will take out all the mature trees and the grass. So instead of the nice lawn in our next-door neighbor’s yard, it’s now going to be a big old concrete parking lot. Many vehicles will be coming and going by our houses day and night. (…) But worse yet, our neighbors’ privacy will be gone. Strangers will be able to see right into their property.”
John Bracken, president of the Burnham Woods Home Owners Association, echoed traffic concerns shared by other commenters at the meeting.
“I can assure you, the traffic has increased on Covell. There are times we can’t get out of our neighborhood, waiting for traffic, particularly during rush hour,” Bracken said. “Edmond was where we wanted to settle. We moved here, and we liked northeast Edmond, certainly because the trees — and many of those are native — and that area is beautiful. I understand we know that long-term plan is the four-lane Covell, and when that happens, I suspect all bets are off. But right now that intersection is extremely dangerous.”
Greg Massey, the vice president of Red Plains Professional who spoke on Hutchinson’s behalf, addressed traffic concerns.
“The problem with traffic we cannot resolve, but we can help facilitate by providing the additional right of way that’s necessary, by helping make some of the intersection improvements that are needed,” Massey said.
After hearing the requests to deny the amendment, Ward 2 Councilman Barry Moore asked Massey if he consulted with any residents before presenting the plans. Massey said he had not, and Moore offered his advice.
“You need to exhaust every effort available to meet with these citizens and talk to them. Share your thoughts, share your plans, get their input. (…) The fear of the unknown is a real killer. It’s painful. You should have talked to these folks, treated them with a little respect and told them what you’re going to do about it,” Moore said. “Now, you’re probably going to get your plan amendment tonight. I’ll be supportive of that. But I’m telling you, if you come back with this deal, and it’s not to the quality and to the standards of what it ought to be, I’m not going to support that. And you indicated that the Mrs. told you to build something nice out there. Well, you better damn well listen to her and do something if that’s what you plan to do.”
The plan amendment ultimately passed unanimously.
