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Tulsa County News, 3708 SW Blvd., Tulsa, OK 74107.
Editorial, Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Not in my back yard
Midtown Tulsa and South Sand Springs are miles apart. But they apparently have something in common. Residents in both areas threw a fit when they discovered low-income or special-needs housing was moving into the neighborhood. Then they took out their angst on their elected officials by attempting to have them recalled.
In the case of midtown, some neighbors went ballistic when they learned of plans by the Mental Health Association of Tulsa to build an apartment home for some of its clients along the north side of I-244 at Yale Avenue. Opponents of this development argued that it would ruin nearby neighborhoods such as White City. Then they went about the business of attempting to recall two city councilors. The effort failed. The housing was built and looks like a great addition to the area in which it is located. And there has been no known meltdown in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Now a similar fiasco appears to be underway in Sand Springs south of Prattville. A developer proposing low-income apartments near the undeveloped intersection of Highway 97 and 51st Street sought tax credits. This required a resolution from the Sand Springs City Council. A subsequent vote of support earned the wrath of residents in the housing subdivisions to the west. They envision a suburban ghetto near their homesteads and are seeking the recall of two city councilors.
The matter is in court and the councilors must occupy themselves with their recall defense. And it is unclear whether the apartment project in question will be developed anyway even without the tax credit.
From here, it seems like deja vu all over again... but not in my back yard.
