Published: September 29, 2009 08:52 pm      

City Council nixes zoning for hotel plan

EDMOND — By James Coburn

The Edmond Sun



The Edmond City Council voted 0-5 against a request by property owner Barry Rice to rezone a 42,000-square-foot parcel for a multi-story hotel/motel or medical building. Zoned as multi-family, the property is north of Main Street between Smythe and Hortense.

“It’s one of our only inner-city motels if it’s allowed,” Rice said. “Most of our nice motels are out on the interstate now.”

The conceptual planned unit development called for the closure of Main Street from Smythe to Hortense and from Hortense to the alley, said City Planner Bob Schiermeyer. Main Street was intended for parking, he said.

“The area has been to higher density multi-family over the years,” Schiermeyer said.

Rice said only four homes in the 12-square blocks of residential property have filed for homestead exemption. Uses in the Highland Park addition have changed considerably in 100 years since the area was platted, Rice said.

Single family homes are north of the parcel with Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market to the south. Residential duplexes are west of the property and Edmond Medical Center is east of the parcel.

“I have to say it might not be a residential property, but I just don’t think it’s a hotel property. We have an established neighborhood,” said Elizabeth Waner, city councilwoman. “The fact that it’s not all privately owned by residential homeowners, doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a private place for people who live there.”

The scale of a four- or five-story building on a hill would be inconsistent with the area, said Charles Lamb, city councilman.

Councilman Wayne Page said he does not favor closing the roads and creating more traffic on residential streets.

In other business, the City Council denied a housing request by developer Martin Teuscher to rezone a 10-acre tract in far east Edmond from general agricultural to allow single family homes at the northeast corner of Post Road and Danforth.



jcoburn@edmondsun.com |

341-2121, ext. 114