Jenks Main Street plan moves forward; business owners on the fence

By: TJ Eckert

JENKS, Okla. — The Jenks Planning Commission has approved a downtown master plan that now heads to the city council. It's a proposal that 2 News Oklahoma has followed since the beginning.

Arwen Roark and her family own Roark Acres, a business on Main St. in downtown Jenks. She said business has been strong in recent years, but she worries the master plan could change that.

"The feedback I've heard from customers who've seen the renderings have the same opinion. It seems pretty, but doesn't seem practical," Roark said.

Downtown Jenks insurance agent Brian Smith said he supports the look of the plan but shares similar worries.

"I'm for it. I'm for the look of it. But I think that the main concern for most people is where are we going to park," Smith said.

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Smith said the impact may vary depending on the type of business.

"I don't know if we'll be affected greatly because there's not a lot of walk-in traffic going into an insurance office. But for these restaurants, that could be a different story," Smith said.

Jenks Director of Planning Marcae Hilton said the city saw those concerns in the survey they sent out ahead of the proposal.

"The biggest thing we heard from the public is, before you take away parking, make sure you know where we can park. And I think that's fair," Hilton said.

Hilton says the plan calls for the addition of 92 parking spaces, with proposals for parallel parking in some areas and flexibility in others.

"That design does allow for different types of parking, it allows for the widths to be varied. So there's a lot of really great conversations you can have, and still keep that vision," Hilton said.

Roark hopes her shoppers are in that vision.

"We have a lot of elderly and handicapable customers. Many people who when they heard about the project, were very concerned. They told us straight up they wouldn't be able to shop with us anymore," Roark said.

The plan is expected to go before the city council within the next month, though no date has been confirmed. Hilton said any major changes are likely still years away.

A link to the full master plan is available here.

TJ Eckert is your South Tulsa County reporter.

Is there something you think he should know about or look into?

You can email him at TJ.Eckert@kjrh.com.