The East Norman Agricultural and Watershed Overlay District would set a low-density rule for qualifying agricultural properties east of 24th Avenue: generally, one home per 10 acres. On tracts of at least 40 acres, the draft would cap construction at a quarter of the property and reserve the remainder for agriculture or conservation, according to KOKH FOX 25. Teresa Elam, a Ward 5 cattle farmer whose family has lived in the Norman area for generations, drafted the proposal.
The proposal’s path through city planning
The draft has not been formally presented to the City Council. Elam has shared it with councilmembers and is seeking feedback from conservation and agricultural organizations. When FOX 25 reported on the effort, a supporters’ petition had more than 140 signatures toward an initial goal of 250. The station reported that the petition and draft were available through the East Norman Agriculture Overlay District Facebook page.
Existing development approvals could complicate any change to land-use boundaries. Ward 5 Councilmember Trey Kirby told FOX 25 that moving restrictions back to 24th Avenue could be difficult because some properties have already been platted. Kirby is gathering information with other councilmembers about reopening parts of Norman’s AIM 2045 comprehensive land-use plan, according to the station.
Water protection and projected growth
Elam’s draft is intended to protect the Lake Thunderbird watershed and the Garber-Wellington Aquifer, which supply water to Norman and nearby communities, FOX 25 reported. Elam relies on a private well at her farm and is concerned about the effects nearby development could have on its water quality. Lake Thunderbird also supplies drinking water to Del City and Midwest City, according to CityNews OKC.
Lake Thunderbird water-quality concerns
Oklahoma DEQ identifies low dissolved oxygen, high chlorophyll-a and high turbidity as impairments in Lake Thunderbird. The agency’s Lake Thunderbird TMDL project page says stormwater and nonpoint runoff are major sources of those impairments.
The proposal comes as Norman plans for substantial growth. The city anticipates needing more than 23,200 homes over the next two decades as its population approaches 186,000 by 2045, News 9 reported. The outlet’s account of the draft AIM Norman plan says it recommends infill development and reinvestment in existing communities, along with broader housing options and updated development rules, according to News 9. Kirby has also argued for building in already developed areas before expanding farther into rural land, FOX 25 reported.
