BIXBY, Okla. — Bixby city councilors rejected rezoning for a polarizing housing development on Sept. 22 while keeping the door open to reevaluate the plan in the future.
"Bixby Farms" plans more than 400 houses beside Sheridan Road between 141st and 151st streets, but many nearby residents contend the city is too strapped for resources and proper road infrastructure.
WATCH: Bixby Farms denied: City council rejects housing plan rezoning for now
"School overcrowding, poor conditions of Sheridan and 141st Street, the low water pressures at peak times of the day, and of course the ever-present bridge problem," Bixby resident Kent Torrance said during the public comment portion of the city council meeting. "These issues still exist."
"We ask you to vote how we ask you to vote. We elect you guys and you're our representatives," Adam Roberts said during his allotted public comments time.
Bixby Farms' concept includes developing 141 acres.
Most of Bixby's city council showed leniency toward the developer and praised its transparency provided during the meeting while hearing from its representative, Nathan Cross.
"I've been doing this 15 years," Cross said. "I've never seen a developer work this hard to try to work with the city, to try to do what the city wants them to do."
However, when it came time to vote to rezone the area from agricultural use to residential, the council motioned to deny while awaiting road work on Sheridan Road and water studies. This did not go over well with Cross, who tried to contend the motion being raised despite no longer having the floor.
The council voted 3-1 to deny the rezoning, with Councilor Ryan Payne recusing himself from the vote.
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