By Carol Cole-Frowe
Norman city councilmembers have a light agenda for their regular 6:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting.
Councilmembers have one item on the regular agenda. They will consider a cooperative traffic solution for the the area between the Classen Boulevard and Constitution Street intersection and the portion of Constitution Street between Classen and the railroad tracks.
The public/private agreement would be a new concept for the City.
The proposal before councilmembers includes owner/ developer BES Investment, LLC, managed by Sassan Moghadam, voluntarily widening Constitution Street and installing sidewalks.
The City of Norman would install traffic signal improvements and center median improvements that would meeting the requirements of a quiet zone with the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad.
The property was formerly owned by the University of Oklahoma and had unclassified zoning. When it sold to BES, developers requested and were given general commercial zoning.
The City's and BES' costs are estimated to be $253,614, with the City providing $135,818 and BES providing $117,790. However, the City's estimated cost would be reduced to $61,055 by using "in-house" labor and equipment, which would be provided by the City's traffic control and street divisions.
Councilmembers also plan an executive session to consider purchase of land at 36th Avenue NW and Main Street for the widening project there. Also in executive session, they will discuss the City of Norman vs. Sutton Creek development LLC case currently in Cleveland County District Court. According to court records, the eminent domain action is scheduled for a non-jury trial July 16-17 and Oct. 21-22 in District Judge Bill Hetherington's courtroom.
A pre-meeting conference at 5:30 p.m. will feature an update on the Kingsgate property and an update on proactive code enforcement. It will be in the study session room at City Hall, 201 W. Gray St.
Carol Cole-Frowe 366-3538 ccole@normantranscript.com
