The Ugly Simon Mall Details

Near 61st Street, there will be a 10 foot retaining wall right at the edge of the Pipeline Trail. This wall runs north and very slightly west along the top of the ridge, and this wall gets TALLER the further north you go. Around the area where the Old Boys Trail starts, the wall is 15 feet. Not much further north the wall is 45 feet tall. If you follow the wall to where it starts curving around to the west, the wall gets up to 75 feet!!!

The YMCA is obviously very concerned. All the kids attending summer camp will have this 7 story tall wall staring them in the face. Goodbye to the wilderness feel of this YMCA camp.

A bad mall plan’s details are revealed, and it still looks pretty bad

The outlet mall at Turkey Mountain would degrade quality of life for Tulsa. Notice I didn’t say an outlet mall on its own is a bad thing. But rather an outlet mall in that location would degrade a real asset for the city, an area with more than 40 miles of wooded trails for hikers, cyclists, runners, geocachers and equestrians. Individuals and families go there to experience nature on its terms without having to drive out of the city. As it exists, the greater Turkey Mountain area is a prime site for people to get outside, exercise and get in tune with nature like no other place in the city. Plopping a mall on a chunk of that land would degrade the experience.

Exploring Mooser Creek

In 2006, the City of Tulsa published future plans for southwest Tulsa, which included a lot of trail work. Part of the plan was for a trail system along Mooser Creek. I am in favor of this, although it looksd like they are doing a paved trail on the north bank and just a trail on the south bank. Would we really need both? Just the dirt trail would be fine by me. 🙂

Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition claims outlet mall could harm Turkey Mtn. wildlife, pollute water

The Tulsa Urban Coalition presented the petition Tuesday. Many comments and concerns were expressed; the main concern being tax money spent on the creation of the TIF district. Another large concern is the potential added traffic on the nearby narrow road.