'Please, no' Broken Arrow neighbor says of possible land rezoning
Dec 18, 2024
The quiet corners in Broken Arrow are few and far between. Neighbors in Bel Lago might have found their own little haven.Its been pretty good, our neighbors finally getting developed and finished up here, one neighbor, Emma, said, Theres a little more traffic here and there. We really like being out here by Highway 51, close to Walmart, things like that.Emma has called Bel Lago home for a few years. Like many of the neighbors, she's young and a homeowner. The others are mostly seniors.The neighbors have been quiet, until they got a letter, outlining a request to change Broken Arrow's comprehensive land plan.Please, no, Emma said of her reaction to the letter.The request would allow higher-density housing in a tract of land right next to Bel Lago.Emma and a few of her neighbors, skeptical of the idea, started a petition.We had a really good turnout, Emma said, Majority of our neighborhood here, and the one next to us, had very good turnout, rarely anybody said no.One organizer told 2 News all but five homeowners signed the petition.Many of the neighbors who signed that petition, will almost certainly be at a Dec. 19 meeting of the planning commission. The meeting starts at 5:30 inside Broken Arrows city hall, located at 221 S. 1st Street.The planning commission must approve the rezoning before sending it to the city council for final approval.Neighbors plan to raise concerns about water supply, flooding, privacy and security. Some fear their property values will tumble if apartments go up.I would say thats never the case, AJ Lang, with Canopy Realty said.He says homeowners should only worry about apartment complexes with rock-bottom standards.If its a brand new apartment complex, and it has good strong rent, I think typically, its gonna bring the value up, Lang said.Emma says the worries are more than value.Its gonna be a lot busier over here, I think its gonna bring a lot more traffic, Emma said, I already had a neighbor that moved in a couple months ago, and said she moved out here specifically to not have as much traffic.If plans go through, those quiet corners in Broken Arrow could become more elusive.Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram SUBSCRIBE on YouTube