Pearl District, Crosbie Heights still waiting for answers on eminent domain

Tonight at 5:30 pm, Tulsa District 4 City Councilor Kara Joy McKee is hosting a"2020 Priorities Visioning and Pie Party" at Will Rogers High School.

This is an opportunity to support the preservation of the Pearl District and oppose eminent domain abuse, not only in the Central Park Place subdivision, but also on the opposite side of downtown, in Crosbie Heights. The homeowners in the footprint of the unfunded and unneeded Elm Creek West Pond, in Paul Harvey's neighborhood, are still on "pause" with no information from city officials. At the final council meeting of 2019, Councilor McKee promised to take action to terminate the pending condemnation cases when the Council reconvened in the new year, but nothing has been done, and the issue has yet to be taken up at any Council committee meeting or regular meeting.

Back in December, Pearl District residents and other citizens raised concerns about the lack of action during the public comment period of the regular city council meetings. On December 4, 2019, John and Tara Dawson, the couple whose family home is in condemnation proceedings, stormwater management consultant Guy DeVerges, and I spoke to the council. Councilor McKee was out of town, but our remarks were recorded on video.

On December 18, at the same meeting at which Fletcher Stewart spoke about Crosbie Heights concerns, resident Dale Lawton and Chad Reese of the Institute for Justice spoke. Reese called on the Council to take specific actions: To make the "pause" official by revoking the condemnation order, and to reevaluate the entire flood mitigation plan and to find a better way if indeed flood mitigation is still needed. Following Reese's comments, Councilor McKee expressed regret for not having previously taken action to stop the condemnation process and got choked up at the thought that the possibility of losing their home would be hanging over the Dawsons' heads over the Christmas holidays. She expressed sorrow that the property was taken in the first place and apologized for focusing on the flooding issue and not pursuing relief for the Dawsons.

MORE: Links to video, maps, and other documents regarding the Elm Creek West Pond from the neighborhood meetings held on October 14 and 15, 2019