City Of Broken Arrow To Vote On New Downtown Design Standards

The City of Broken Arrow is set to vote on new design standards for the community's budding downtown.

The new standards will impact one square mile of downtown and that includes the Rose District.

There are examples on every block  — the old sitting right next to the new.

One neighborhood is evolving and the city wants to make sure some rules are in place moving forward.

"This will be even more vibrant 10 years from now but it will also set an example for other parts of our city to try and replicate our success," said Farhad Daroga with the City of Broken Arrow.

New businesses are opening and it's an eclectic mix.

Breathe Dentistry opened about a year ago.

A modern concept in a building more than 100 years old.

"I wanted to be involved here so it wasn't just another business or storefront somewhere. I wanted to be in the heart of our town," said Jordon Smith of Breathe Dentistry.

The standards encourage new build-outs to be relatively close to the street, have plenty of windows and designed to promote walkability.

In the residential areas that surround Main Street, new homes and renovations should respect the designs that exist.

For larger apartment developments, the city said to keep it interesting and pedestrian friendly.

These conversations started years ago and all planning seems to be paying off.

I"t's been a pleasant surprise. It took us a little to get going in the early years," Daroga said.

But now business owners say they're excited to see the residential and commercial boom unfolding here as this downtown finds its identity.

"Everybody bikes everywhere they went or walked everywhere they went 30 there's so many people here who walk every day and don't leave this area much," Smith said.

The city council will vote on this Tuesday and implement it next month.