City Council overturns HPC on downtown sidewalks

The Guthrie City Council needed less than 15 minutes to overturn the Historic Preservation Commission on the sidewalk proposal in downtown.

With a 6-0 vote in a 13-minute emergency meeting, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) will soon go out to bids to place sidewalks along S. Division St., in the downtown district and on Noble Ave.

The estimated $1.2M project will be fully-funded by ODOT.

The improvements would include meeting American with Disabilities Act (ADA) for sidewalks, ADA ramps and limited curb and gutter replacements.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) agreed to the ODOT project.

The council’s decision came less than 24 hours after HPC’s special meeting to vote against the downtown project for the second time in 11 days.

In their Aug. 10 meeting, HPC voted unanimously to approve the project within the historic district but required ODOT to place brick sidewalks. Related article: Division St., Noble Ave. sidewalk project hits bump in the road

Three days later ODOT responded to city officials and said they would continue with the project, but would exclude downtown from Perkins St. to the alley south of Harrison Ave. Related article: Sidewalk project to go on excluding downtown area

In return, HPC held a special meeting on Monday evening to reconsider their action. However, with a 4-2 vote, the commission denied the project if brick pavers were not used.

The following morning, city officials called for the emergency meeting. In part of the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act, an emergency meeting can be called for if immediate financial loss when the time requirements for public notice of a special meeting would make such procedure impractical and increase the likelihood of injury or damage or immediate financial loss.

The council voted to approve the downtown project with the qualification if it is feasible for ODOT to put in color, stamp concrete. If it’s not feasible, the project will go on as outlined by the transportation department.

Breakdown of the $1.2M project:

Install and improve sidewalks along Division St. beginning from Industrial Road north to Noble Ave. and from the intersection of Noble Ave. and Division St. east to Drexel St.

The project calls for sidewalks to be installed on the west side of Division St. from Industrial to the Walmart signal light. From there, sidewalks would be added on the east side to Noble Ave. to the alley way (Vilas Ave.) south of Harrison Ave. The project on Noble Ave. would have sidewalks installed on the south side with some brick sidewalks staying in place.

The historic district beginning from Perkins St. to Vilas Ave. on Division St. and from Cleveland Ave. to Noble Ave. and on Noble Ave. from Division St. to Broad St.

The remaining portion of the historic district on Division St. (Vilas Ave. to Cleveland Ave.) remains under another plan (downtown street project). Related article: Downtown street project likely going away to fund Harrison St. bridge project