Tulsa Parks Board declares park land surplus, city considers possible use for temporary homeless housing

The Tulsa Parks Board declared 2.5 acres of Newblock Park as surplus on Tuesday, clearing the first hurdle for the property to be used as a transitional housing site for homeless people. Several residents from Crosbie Heights, the neighborhood surrounding the park, asked the board to delay or deny the decision just before the vote.

Resident Linda Collier told the board that allowing the housing program would "go against everything we've been working towards" in the neighborhood. Realtor Deb Cramer cited studies showing a decline in home values where one or more homeless shelters were allowed.

Crosbie Heights is bordered by multiple social service agencies on the edge of downtown, by railroad tracks on another side, and is home to dozens of homeless campsites, primarily along the Arkansas River.

Newblock Park is 98 acres, with a City maintenance building and the Water Works Art Studio inside the park, and an abandoned detention center across Charles Page Boulevard. The site for the homeless program is on the West end of the park.

With two members of the board absent, the vote was 2-1 in favor of declaring the land as surplus. Board Member Cassie Reese-Tipton was the sole vote against it, with Former Mayor Susan Savage and City Manager Mike Miller voting for it.

The agenda item was "to allow for a transitional housing program," but the board vote only declares the land surplus, with approval also needed by the City Council and the Mayor for it to become final. Any new construction on the site would be subject to normal permitting and zoning regulations, giving residents multiple opportunities to voice their concerns.

"We'll ramp up, we'll regroup, and we'll fight this with everything we have to throw at it," said Crosbie Heights resident Larry Mitchell.