Riverview Neighborhood Association

February 13, 2007 General Meeting Minutes

 

 

The meeting was called to order by President, Vicki Hibbert, at 7:30 p.m.  Attendees of the meeting were encouraged to update their contact information, especially their email addresses.

 

The McBirney Mansion project representatives are introduced by Anne Pollard for a 20 minute presentation: Jim Seawright (Architect) and Larry Gulihur (operations & management consultant).

 

The sale of the McBirney Mansion was completed on January 31, 2007. Renderings exhibited showed construction of new buildings below the original mansion (on the 46 foot drop) to be used as a boutique hotel with approximately 80 rooms.  The project is in compliance with the existing easement designed to preserve the mansion. The entire project (including the existing structures) will cover 19% of the land.

 

Questions from attendees focused on traffic and parking and we heard that no new curb cuts will mean that entrance/egress will be from Riverside Drive and 200 parking spots will be concealed under the two hotel levels and another 37 (to the north) will be screened by trees.

 

Other questions were raised about the impact on neighborhood property values, general interest questions about restaurants, room rates, and potential occupants.

 

Other Business included a report of no change in status regarding the release of funding for the Vision 2025 projects:  1) Restoration of the Carson Avenue arch; 2) Placement of neighborhood entrances at 14^th & Galveston & Riverside and at 14^th & Boulder Avenue; 3) Beautification of Stickball Park.

 

Vicki also reported on our attempts are being made to obtain a historic designation (not preservation) status for the neighborhood.  Meetings with the Historical society are scheduled for March regarding the boundaries of the four areas: Vista Heights, Carlton Place, Stonebreaker Heights, and Riverside. A final meeting will be held in July with the Tulsa Preservation Commission.

 

Jack Wing announced that Tulsa Tough will be held downtown on June 1-2 and on Riverside on June 3^rd. He has posted a video of last year’s race on their website: http://www.tulsatough.com. Jack will again recruit volunteers from the neighborhood.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.