Council Looks Into Sale Of Tulsa's Helmerich Park Land

The Tulsa City Council has stepped into the controversy surrounding the sale of Tulsa's Helmerich Park.  It's under contract to a developer, but opposition is building.

The sale is on hold while the legalities are settled, in particular whether the city council should have some say in the deal.  

The city council spent two hours Thursday discussing a deal two years in the making.  The contract would bring retailer REI into a shopping center at 71st and Riverside.

The city carved up Helmerich Park, a site long zoned for development, but publicly presumed to be protected park land.

The city council heard that this far into it, they may not be able to stop it.

"The Tulsa Public Facilities Authority on it's own is the one who decides what is done with this property," said Clay Bird, Mayor's Economic Development Director. 

It was the city's economic development group that arranged the deal at Mayor Dewey Bartlett's request to identify riverside property for development.  But it is the city council getting complaints about selling off park land for what opponents say is far below market value.  

"When we're going to make that decision, we dang better sure get best value for it and that doesn't just mean the highest bidder," said Tulsa city councilor Anna America. 

Several city councilors had concerns about the specifics of the plans, but there was more criticism about the way it was communicated.  

The administration pointed out it had appeared on 15 different public agendas, but most in relatively obscure meetings the public rarely attends.

"We were not informed in advance, we heard it off the street and it makes it hard to defend something we've heard from everyone else and not from you," said Tulsa city councilor Jeannie Cue.

The opponents came away energized that the council wants a say in what happens.

"I think most of the councilors understand they should have a vote in this deal," said Herb Beattie.  "And I think most of them think they have a right and responsibility to discuss this matter before this public park is sold."  

12/11/2015 Related Story: Group Claims City Plans To Sell Tulsa Park For Less Than It's Worth

The council has also met in private with the city attorney.  He has asked a judge to clarify who has control of the property and whether it can be sold without going through the city council.