Jenks Residents Share Concerns Over Proposed Sports Complex Development

Jenks city leaders are considering rezoning a property to allow for a sports complex that could bring in a lot of revenue.

The developer who owns the property near 106th and Elm wants to build a baseball complex there, but many people are concerned about increased traffic and noise.

Jenks residents formed the Jenks Coalition for Smart Growth in response to the proposed development.

Organizers said hundreds of people joined the effort against the plan through a Facebook group and petitions.

“We think development is good. We think this development is bad,” said Brad Lenhart, Jenks Resident & Co-Founder of the Jenks Coalition for Smart Growth.

The 106th and Elm property is zoned parks and open space, but the city council is considering changing it to local commercial use after the planning commission made its recommendation back in April.

The vote is being delayed until June 27, after council members supported the mayor's recommendation to postpone it.

“What we’ve learned is that there’s a bigger development called the Ripken Experience, which is a massive for-profit baseball, competitive baseball spot,” said Lenhart. “They’re putting the cart before the horse. They want to bring in developments because we need tax revenue but they’re not building out the infrastructure to support.”

Supporters believe the development will bring more revenue to the city through tourism and sales tax and might even attract future developers to the area.

They also think bringing big tournaments to town with teams from across the country will be very beneficial.

However, Brad Lenhart said it's already a high traffic area that’s difficult to get in and out of.

“They’re proposing this in the highest housing density of Jenks. Their infrastructure in this section including Main Street Jenks can’t even support the community as it is now,” said Lenhart. ““Right now, when you cross Polecat Creek it is a small bridge, two lanes and there’s always gonna be a bottleneck there. You’ve got a QuikTrip that people are coming in and out of and you’ve got the entrance out of the Creek Turnpike and the exit off of the Creek Turnpike.”

He said the widening at 111th that has already been proposed and approved through a bond that passed in 2020 isn't the solution.

Lenhart worries all of the side streets will become cut-through streets.

He said this development can be found in big, high commercial tourist areas -- like Myrtle Beach, and in an area full of commercial properties and warehouses, along with the very mountainous Pigeon Forge that has a large commercial area built to support tourism.

The Jenks Coalition for Smart Growth is concerned about added noise from things like traffic and a PA System, along with safety.

“We’ve got dog walkers. Kids, kids ride their bikes to school. They skateboard to school. We see all day long coming up and down Elm Street heading south to where a lot of the homes are. If you go up 106th we don’t even have sidewalks on 106th,” said Lenhart. “There’s gonna be PA systems with music. They announce every kid that comes to the plate. 'Hey here’s little Jimmy. He gets a home run. Jimmy got a home run,' and they play loud speaker music.”

The Coalition said it's not opposed to the complex completely; they just don’t want it in their back yard.

Organizers said Jenks already has many existing hotels and commercial growth near the Highway 75 corridor. They think that might be a better location and they’re open to ideas.