Tulsa Public Meeting Held Monday Over Riverside Drive Sidewalk

A public meeting will be held over a block-long piece of sidewalk that is sparking controversy in a neighborhood next to Tulsa's planned Gathering Place park.

Sunday, November 23rd 2014, 2:40 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsa Public Meeting Held Monday Over Riverside Drive Sidewalk

A public meeting will be held over a block-long piece of sidewalk that is sparking controversy in a neighborhood next to Tulsa's planned Gathering Place park.

Proponents and opponents will have a chance to voice their concerns at 6 p.m. Monday, November 24 at the Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 South Peoria, at a town hall meeting.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett changed sidewalk plans for a block on the east side of Riverside Drive that runs from East 26th Place to Gathering Place. The executive order overrides city policy and is against the advice of the city's top traffic engineer.

Instead, he sided with homeowners - including the landlord of the mayor's private office.

The Maple Ridge Homeowner's Association is against the sidewalk citing property values and preservation. Another group represented by Smart Growth Tulsa says it makes no sense to depart from Tulsa's Comprehensive Plan and poses barriers for adults in wheelchairs, on bike and on foot.

The sidewalk was initially planned to start at 21st and Boulder's Veteran's Park and connect to Gathering Place. Pedestrians will have to use a crosswalk to detour to the west side of Riverside Drive then cross back over into the park at a land bridge.