For the full press release click here.

“Based upon an in-depth review of Simon’s plans, their lack of follow up detail, and how these plans do not respect the surrounding properties and their future intended use, Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition cannot support Simon’s development plans and requests for public tax incentives for this site.  We wish Simon well in the Tulsa market but feel it is unfortunate they selected this site without apparent consideration for what pristine urban wilderness means to not just Tulsa, but the entire region,”

TUWC public relations coordinator Laurie Biby said.

Wilderness group opposes proposed outlet mall near Turkey Mountain

A local wilderness coalition said Tuesday that it cannot support the proposed development of an outlet mall near the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness area, in part because the developer has been unable to fully address the organization’s concerns about the project’s impact on the area.

From monitoring the PRC meeting yesterday, I can say that INCOG and the city appreciate the gravity of what Simon is attempting to do and where they are attempting to do it. There are a few things they have to provide for clarification or more detail prior to this going to the full TMAPC on March 18.

Simon, thus far has avoided the local media unless it has been their own public announcements they have invited the media to. They refused to comment yesterday and last week when the YMCA finally went public with their comments on the development. Ask yourself why does Simon want to control the conversation and why are they not responding to the concerns of local citizens if they really want to be good members of the community.

Our stance has not changed, we still would prefer this development go elsewhere. This is NOWHERE close to a done deal. Simon has very high hurdles to clear.

Simon’s plan must get past the planning commission, then it must get past the City Council where your voices really count. Your representatives know the value of Turkey Mountain and so long as they know public opinion supports a pristine, undeveloped Turkey Mountain, they will act in our best interests. That’s why we need to keep emailing, calling, and need to show up when this goes before the City Council.

Simon has to explain and address the traffic issue east of their development. To date, they have no answers and meetings this week have shown there is no simple solution to the obvious reality Elwood and 61st will see a large uptick in traffic. This is a very important issue they must address as it’s in the interest of public safety on a very dangerous stretch of road.

Simon said they will be asking for tax incentives to help finance their project. Let the councilors know you do NOT support sanctioning the destruction of urban wilderness by providing tax incentives to the #1 mall developer in the world. Tax incentives to large out-of-state developers takes incentive money away from local developers who appreciate our culture and who are members of our community. Those are the developers who need help financing projects, not mega-developers with a $60 billion market cap.

Simon also has very keen competition with two other competing developments which may render this project dead at any time. Because of your emails, phone calls, and the coverage the media has provided on this issue, the city knows this is a controversial project.

We are simply providing an account of our observations on the progress of the planning process as promised. The next steps will be warm bodies at the TMAPC meeting on March 18 and the City Council meeting about a month later, unless some snags come up in their plan prior to those dates which would push it back.

Here are items that came up (please note that I am interchanging INCOG and city comments/inquiries as “city”):

-Simon has completed the traffic, geotechnical, topographical, and enviro studies. They have a plan for the 61st St. bridge but absolutely no answer for additional traffic on 61st heading east to Elwood then down Elwood Hill. I do believe these would be part of the public record and I am looking into obtaining copies.

-The city is concerned about the lighting standards they will use and if they really can minimize light pollution toward the Y and the wilderness to the east.

-The city expressed concern about the quality of run off water which will run off into Mooser Creek. It does not sound like all the engineering has been completed for the storm water system, but Simon’s engineer explained some of the natural filtration process they intend to use. Still, filtering the run off from over a million square feet of impermeable surface sounds like a daunting task. Again, that’s not my area of expertise. Simon seems to reply to many things with: “We’ve done this over 80 times with our outlet malls, we haven’t gotten this far by not learning something every time.” Basically, “Trust us to do the right thing.”

-The city does recognize that Turkey Mountain has regional and national prominence as a tourist draw. They want to make sure Simon understands this and will incorporate as many methods to respect this. I think they may have even referred to it as making it a bigger draw.

-The city advised Simon that their planned bridge over 61st Street will have to respect the SW Tulsa small area plan which called for a pedestrian-friendly bridge to connect Turkey Mountain to the neighboring areas to the west. Simon had proposed a 4’ sidewalk on the north side of the bridge, I believe the city will require a minimum of 6’. There was something in the SAP about assuring equestrian access from the Union Ave. corridor to Turkey Mountain. I’m not sure a 6’ pedestrian lane will cut it in that case. It appears to me, they may not have been aware of the small area plan, nor the Mooser Creek Study prior to now. INCOG will ensure those are respected in design

-The city has expressed concerns about pedestrian safety in the parking areas and circulator road. Obviously, this is an auto-centric project with pedestrian features once you are on-site. Any consideration to pedestrian access to the entrance of the site appears to be an afterthought at this time. The city is requiring a bus shelter for public transit access.

-The city also wants better clarification on how this project can link to the trails and consider the future use and demand for the trails. The city recognizes there is increasing interest in the recreation area. Simon thus far has been very vague on trailhead access or additional parking for trail users. This is an issue we are continuing to push and appears to have been a stipulation in the project from the beginning.

TUWC Hosts a “Get to Know Turkey Mountain” Day Feb 21

The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition is hosting a “Get to Know Turkey Mountain” guided walk Feb 21. This will be a gentle walk geared toward familiarizing new Trail Users with Turkey Mountain. This event is free and open to all ages! All we ask is that you please register for the event so we have adequate volunteers for our visitors. If you are interested in volunteering please contact the TUWC webmaster@tulsaurbanwildernesscoalition.org.

To register follow this link. Space is limited.

Head out to Turkey Mountain on any given day, and you’ll see a parking lot filled with cars, buses, and maybe a truck with a horse trailer or two. They’re out there hiking, running, biking, geocaching, walking and riding.

Trail users come from all walks of life. There is no admission charge.

The wilderness is free to all who appreciate the beauty of a few moments unplugged. The time to escape with your thoughts. The irreplaceable family outing that will be retold for years to come but will always retain a child’s point of view.

A diverse group. But what do they all have in common?

They’re all trail users.

But this is a different breed than what you might see among those who visit parks or peruse shops and such. While a trail user’s primary purpose for going to a place like Turkey Mountain might be to get some exercise or stretch the legs, there is often more to it than that.

So here are a few ways trail users are different from most folks:

Trail users are passionate about what they do outside. Whether they run, bike, geocache, walk, hike or ride, a trail user doesn’t just casually get into what they do. The activities require a degree of commitment in terms of time, energy and yes, money. The degree of interest to which they dive into these activities goes way beyond casual. What they do is a huge part of who they are.

Knowing that, trail users care deeply about the places they go. We like to explore and get to know our trails. We have favorites. We give them names. And like any place we love, we’re more often than not going to want to share these places with people we know. Not surprisingly, trail users show great concern about anything that might negatively affect our trail systems, and are vocal about protecting them.

Trail users put action behind our words. It’s one thing to talk a big talk, but trail users are more than willing to walk the walk. Trail users are the first to volunteer for clean-up days. They’ll bring their own tools to clear brush and rebuild worn trails. Trail users will even pick up litter on their own. That’s what separates us from pretty much everyone else. If you need something done that requires a lot of volunteers to do it, trail users will be there in droves.

Long before a coalition was formed these trail users were maintaining the trails with one single idea. Preserving the trails for the long term.

The term ‘user’ can so easily mislead a casual observer. Perhaps finding a word that better describes the relationship we have with the wilderness is a good idea. As I type this I am struggling to find just one word to encompass steward, activist, conservationist, and enthusiast.

You can sum it up in this way. Trail users aren’t just consumers, users, or even constituents. We’re all that and more. In a city that keeps an urban wild place, trail users are assets. Come on out and see us in action.