Turkey Mountain update: What it means now that Simon has abandoned its original outlet mall plans

An amazing view at Turkey Mountain. Let’s preserve the good.

I’m going to say something that might shock some of you.

Welcome to the Tulsa market, Simon Premium Outlet Malls.

That’s a phrase a lot of us were more than willing to say, provided that the real estate giant did not plop its planned outlet mall on Turkey Mountain. But in a huge turn of developments, reports have surfaced that Simon has changed its plans, now intent on building its massive retail project on an already cleared piece of property in the Tulsa suburb of Jenks, several miles south and well away from Tulsa’s last great green space, Turkey Mountain.

BACKGROUND

Simon announced plans to build an outlet mall on a piece of property along U.S. Highway 75 and 61st Street in southwest Tulsa, land that just happened to be at the southwest corner of Turkey Mountain on a piece of privately owned property. The land overlooks a YMCA kids camp and adjoins a large section of wooded wild land, enjoyed by hikers, runners, cyclists and nature enthusiasts. The thought of having such a large project built there (80+ shops) drew heavy community opposition, with worries over loss of trails, stormwater pollution, erosion, loss of wildlife habitat, traffic safety problems and costs all being mentioned.

The outcry was heard by a number of Tulsa City Council members, many of whom voiced skepticism toward the viability and value of having a mall there. The Tulsa YMCA also made its position clear, that the project as proposed was not acceptable given its proximity to the Westside YMCA kids camp. Public forums about the project were one-sided, with large majorities of those attending saying they didn’t want a mall built on the west side of Turkey Mountain.

On Wednesday, a report in the Tulsa World, citing the Jenks mayor and city manager as well as documents from Simon Property Group, showed that the company now intends to build in Jenks, just off the Creek Turnpike. Simon has gone so far to enter into a contract with landowners of the new site in Jenks.

WHAT THIS MEANS

For now, the property at Turkey Mountain will remain undeveloped. Although Simon still has a contract on the tract, the focus of the company has changed. Simon has clearly seen that it will not have public or City Council support for doing what it wants to do at Turkey Mountain. It looks like momentum for Simon’s project has swung south.

The land in question, however, is still in play. Just because Simon wants out does not mean the land’s owners are going to do nothing. Unless conservation is their stated goal, people don’t buy land just to let it sit there. My assumption is that it’s still for sale. So while Simon is focusing elsewhere (and any future investor would face the same hurdles Simon faced), that doesn’t mean it’s safe.

There are efforts underway to take the parcel off the market for good. The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, which spearheaded efforts to preserve the land, is now an officially recognized non-profit organization that can accept monetary, tax-deductible donations. One of the coalition’s goals is to buy the land if it becomes available. It’s valued at somewhere around $3.2 million. It’s a tall order to raise that much money, but the TUWC has been fighting — and winning — uphill battles since it was formed last fall. If you want to donate, here is a link to the coalition’s GuFundMe site; a link for larger donations through the Tulsa Community Foundation; and for direct donations, you can go to or mail donations to Yorktown Bank, 2222 S. Utica Place, #350, Tulsa, OK, 74114.

This is a big win for conservation. Normally, conservation efforts fall short in Red State America, particularly when it comes to conservation vs. economic development. It doesn’t get any redder than Tulsa. But when people were able to see all the issues at stake — preserving a natural space, promoting outdoor recreation and health, valuing quality of life over tax revenues, just to name a few — they overwhelmingly sided with conservation. There is plenty of room in and around Tulsa for economic development, but very little space given to places like Turkey Mountain. Tulsans should be proud for having seen this and, more importantly, acting on it. The message of many voices is strong, even when the goal is a little outside what is normal within the region’s prevailing politics.

This is a big win for Tulsa. Certain people at City Hall may disagree (on the grounds that the city is losing out on potential tax revenues), but in the long run, this is good for the city. Turkey Mountain is a tremendous asset for Tulsa. It’s a draw not only for Tulsa-area residents, but for those living outside the metro area and even outside Oklahoma. People go there to enjoy the trails, coming from all over the country. They spend money here. And for people looking to relocate, having an asset like Turkey Mountain is just the sort of thing that makes the city look more attractive. Preserving and even enhancing places like Turkey Mountain is critical in terms of recruiting young professionals and even entire companies. Very few cities in the Midwest and the South have such a place. We do. Turkey Mountain is a huge selling point. Protecting it should be a priority.

But what about those potential lost tax dollars? It’s not that cut-and-dry, given that Simon wanted a large tax increment finance district set up to help fund construction of the mall and the substantial infrastructure improvement that would be needed. Given the uncertainty of the plan’s success at that location, the possibility exists that the sales taxes earned at the mall might not offset the city’s costs. Even so, Tulsa can still get behind another outlet mall project on the city’s east side. If economic development really is that big of a priority, that’s where City Hall’s attention should go. If the city can help that project succeed, it will get the new revenues it seeks and enhance quality of life by protecting its natural assets.

Keep in mind, nothing is set in stone. All kinds of wheeling and dealing can change things on the turn of a dime. But this week’s news should be welcomed as a positive development and be seen as a call for further action. The next step is solidifying the future of the all the property in Tulsa’s urban wilderness. Act accordingly!

Bob Doucette

Turkey Mountain update: Positive vibes for an outlet mall not on Turkey Mountain

Not long ago (a little over a week ago), public officials and representatives of an outlet mall development company held a public forum to discuss building a huge new shopping center. A good number of people showed up, and public opinion was strongly slanted in one direction.

The people there were overwhelmingly for it.

Contrast this to the past couple of public forums talking about an outlet mall in Tulsa, where sentiment toward a certain project was overwhelmingly negative.

What’s the difference?

Citizen views differed by location. Yes, we’re talking about two different projects, and you know what they say about real estate: Location is everything.

The project met with so much opposition is one promoted by Simon Properties. It’s located on the west side of Turkey Mountain, something that has drawn strong criticism from trail users, conservationists, nearby residents and the public at large. The promise of new jobs, more shopping and tax revenues has swayed relatively few people who see an outlet mall at that location as a bad fit, something that will cause serious issues in terms of traffic, litter, pollution and overall degradation of one of the few natural settings left in the city.

The project receiving so much support happens to be on the opposite side of town, in east Tulsa, an already developed, urban area where jobs and shopping are needed just as badly as they are in west Tulsa. The plan, put forward by the Horizon Group, has met no opposition. Whereas elected city officials are divided on building at Turkey Mountain (with several voicing opposition), only positive reaction has come from their ranks and the public on the east Tulsa proposal.

There is a lesson to be learned here. Those of us following these developments understand the city needs to grow its tax base, and a large retail shopping center is a good way to do it. Jobs and sales tax revenues are plum prizes. But city officials need to understand a couple of things.

First, they need to listen to the people. Very few in the public have voiced support for Simon’s proposal at Turkey Mountain (though they wouldn’t mind if Simon built somewhere else). Large numbers have turned out at public forums voicing opposition. For the east Tulsa proposal, only positive vibes and no controversy. If you’re an elected official, this contrast should be something of which to take note.

Second, they need to weigh the costs versus the benefits. Both proposals would provide jobs and revenue, but one proposal would do so at great cost to its surroundings — natural woodlands, a prime trail system and an established YMCA kids camp known for providing children with activities in a natural, non-urban setting. Sometimes an extra buck or two is not worth it. The other proposal would blend in. The east Tulsa project would be built in an area that is already developed and urbanized. Instead of detracting from its surroundings, it would likely spruce things up. And not a single tree would be uprooted.

Which project gets approval is ultimately up to the City Council. So I’d ask city councilors this: What will you choose? Where will you throw you support? Who will you listen to?

I’d keep in mind there is a possibility that  retailers will flock instead to a third project outside Tulsa’s city limits, one being fronted by the Cherokee Nation in Catoosa, next door to the tribe’s substantial and successful casino development.

Clock’s ticking, folks. Tulsa does not have to choose between conservation and economic development. It can have both, plus all the benefits of new shopping and an expanding culture of outdoor recreation. All you have to do is look and listen.

As for the rest of us: Write and call city councilors and let them know how you feel. And sign the petition. Your voice matters.

Bob Doucette

Score one for the planet: Creek cleanup day at Mooser Creek

A group photo for last weekend’s creek cleanup day at Mooser Creek. Nice crowd. (Laurie Biby photo)

I’ve been heartened by the number of people who have showed up at different volunteer efforts surrounding Turkey Mountain.

We had a huge turnout for a cleanup and trail maintenance day back in January — the biggest such event that Turkey Mountain has ever seen. When a mall developer announced plans to build an outlet mall on the west side of Turkey Mountain, thousands signed a petition to oppose it, and hundreds have attended forums and written letters expressing a growing sentiment in Tulsa: to Keep Turkey Mountain wild.

I shouldn’t be surprised that during the city’s annual creek cleanup event, big numbers would show up. But still, it was a sunny, beautiful Saturday morning, a day where you couldn’t blame someone for playing hookey.

But that’s not what happened. It seemed like we had more than a hundred people there, from little kids to retirees. I saw a lot of familiar faces from the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition while spying a good number of trail runners and mountain bikers. But there were also nature enthusiasts, military veterans and even a school’s robotics team. It was a nice cross-section of the community.

Volunteers get a briefing from the city of Tulsa’s stormwater expert.

The group got a debriefing from the city’s stormwater guru, were given gear for the cleanup and then separated into teams. Folks would scour Mooser Creek itself as well as a few of its tributaries and hillsides that are part of the watershed.

A little bit about Mooser Creek: It’s the city’s only creek that has not been altered for stormwater purposes, so it is, more than anything else in the city, as close to being in its natural state as you can get. The waters of Mooser Creek are surprisingly clear and full of life — fish, frogs, snakes, turtles and whatnot. It’s a critical component to Turkey Mountain, feeds the Arkansas River and is quite pretty.

But its north bank borders a commercial area and a busy interstate highway. So trash abounds, fouling the creek and, ultimately, the Arkansas River. Mooser Creek was an ideal candidate for the annual creek cleanup.

Jenny and one of her boys show off the treasures they found, including a shiny pair of high heels.

In addition to picking up litter, organizers wanted to make a game of it by offering a prize for the most unusual piece of trash collected. We found some weird stuff.

In my group, we uncovered a baseball, golf balls, some high-heel shoes and a motorcycle seat in a tributary creek. That, plus several bags of trash or the more ordinary kind. One fella found something more nefarious — a bunch of syringes and a drug stash. Part of the deal, I suppose.

Other groups found a computer, a blender, a creepy baby doll, an electronic thermometer, an unopened beer can and a bike helmet, among other treasures. The computer was the big winner. I’m pretty sure it didn’t boot up.

What I learned: I can’t speak for the other groups, but I can speak for mine. I’m not surprised that the people who were on my team spent time volunteering. For them, Turkey Mountain has high importance — it’s where they run, hike and bike. I see them volunteer for a lot of stuff like this.

Getting into the weeds in a tributary of Mooser Creek. And stylin’ with orange safety vests.

What encouraged me the most was their kids. A girl and two boys, all somewhere between 5 and 8, knew why they were there. They were there, and I paraphrase their words, to help the planet. The kids were gamers, too. No whining, and they stuck it out till the end, getting in the weeds, picking up litter and stuffing it in their bags. Gotta respect that.

So another volunteer day is in the books, with bigger numbers and positive results. I know a lot of this space is about fitness or adventures, but it’s good to be reminded that what makes the outdoors special doesn’t happen in a vacuum. With so many man-made pressures threatening what’s left of our wild places, it’s important to remember that as much as we receive from nature we need to give back. When it comes to nature, it’s mostly defenseless against us unless we step up to protect it. So if that means signing a petition, educating our kids, writing public officials, or just spending a couple of hours picking up trash, every bit counts. Do what you can.

Yours truly. (Tyler Hanes photo)

— Bob Doucette

Do a good deed: Join the TUWC in a cleanup at Mooser Creek on Saturday

Something that has encouraged me over the past few months has been the widespread support of protecting Turkey Mountain from development encroachment. People in and around the Tulsa area, whether they are trail users or not, have been very firm in their opinion that the greenspace out there is worth protecting.

People are, whether they know it or not, taking a conservationist view of what should and should not be done at Turkey Mountain. No small feat here in Red State America, but there it is — people care about natural places.

This weekend, there is a great opportunity to take that sentiment to the next level.

The city of Tulsa, along with the Tulsa County Conservation District, Tulsa Westside YMCA, Tulsa’s Young Professionals, Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, Blue Thumb, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is hosting a cleanup day Saturday morning at Mooser Creek, a natural waterway bordering the north side of Turkey Mountain.

Mooser Creek is rare in Tulsa, in that it has been allowed to flow freely without any obstructions or redirections from flood control projects. As a result, its waters are clear and the ecosystem there is unique. Mooser Creek is one of the reasons we want to protect the watershed from Turkey Mountain, and why a certain mall plan has people so concerned. Anyway, I digress.

On the down side, the creek’s proximity to commercial and industrial sites (as well as a major highway) make it vulnerable to litter and trash. So the group I mentioned above is asking for volunteers to help clean the creek.

Meet up at the Westside YMCA, 5400 S. Olympia, then head out. Bring clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, muddy and whatnot. The cleanup will go from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and you’ll be fed if you come (Rib Crib!). Trash bags will be provided, but bring some gloves.

Best yet, you’ll get a chance to see a side of Turkey Mountain most people don’t see often, even regular trail users.

So come on out. Meet some great people. See Mooser Creek. Get free eats. And do good. See you there!

Bob Doucette

The peril facing public lands: How lawmakers want to sell off America’s natural heritage

Kit Carson National Forest, as seen from the Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area in New Mexico. Beautiful public lands.

“Conservation is a great moral issue, for it involves the patriotic duty of insuring the safety and continuance of the nation.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Certain memories never leave you. They make an impression — hopefully for the better — that doesn’t just bring a grin to your face, but becomes a part of the fabric of who you are.

I’ve got a lot of those. Many times, they build on each other, sort of in the way that a series of short outings becomes a longer life journey that takes you where you were always meant to go. It’s a satisfying feeling when you encounter one of those moments, then look back and realize how the events of your past led you to that amazing point in time.

That happened to me about nine years ago on a backpacking trip to northern New Mexico. There were five of us there, and we spent the day hiking up to a high alpine lake perched on the lower slopes of Wheeler Peak. Tall stands of evergreens and aspens were all around, carpeting the Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area, a patch of wild land that is part of the sprawling Kit Carson National Forest.

I was first up that morning, crawling out of my sleeping bag and lighting my stove to cook a little breakfast. The rest of the gang was still trying to get a few more minutes of sleep before we’d head up to the highest point in New Mexico, then march back down the hill to civilization.

As I was boiling my water, I looked to my right and there they were — a female bighorn sheep and her lamb, staring at me, then casually easing their way up the slope to investigate our little campsite. They seemed completely unconcerned about the presence of people — this was their land, their home, I guess, and they’d probably seen folks like us come and go many times. They came so close that I felt I could have stood up and scratched mama behind the ears, though I know that would have never happened. Still, when you live in a community measured in the tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or millions, real wildlife encounters like that aren’t all that common. Not with creatures like these.

We made a lot of memories on that trip, and yeah, we did bag Wheeler’s summit on a bright, bluebird day. But that morning in camp stuck with me more than anything.

That encounter exemplifies the value of public lands. We were well within the confines of New Mexico, but by law, that national forest and that wilderness area belongs to all of us. The same is true of many other places across the West, and indeed, the entire country. Some plots of land were meant for individual landowners. But some, by their very nature, are just too precious to sell off or give away. They belong to everyone.

Unfortunately, that value — one that was so strong in the hearts of conservationist heroes like Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, and still strong with the public at large — is waning in the houses of power.

In Utah, politicians there — backed by lobbyists representing energy and mining interests — are passing laws demanding that the federal government cede those public lands to the states. Utah actually set aside $2 million to sue over it. And the sentiment behind that is only growing.

Changing political tides on the national level are beginning to mirror Utah’s model. In March, the Senate passed an amendment (Senate Amendment 838) to a piece of legislation that would authorize selling or giving away huge quantities of public lands — those in national forests, wildlife refuges, and tracts owned by the Bureau of Land Management. Basically any federal land not already claimed by national parks or national monuments. The amendment passed 51-49, mostly along partisan lines, with three Republicans voting against it.

The measure was advanced with the ever-popular arguments of affirming states’ rights, shrinking the federal government and closing budget holes, but the reality is far more opportunistic. Forest Service and BLM lands are filled with places that have yet to be explored for oil, gas, rare earth metals, coal and other exploitable resources that any number of companies would love to extract. Billions could be made, though that doesn’t necessarily take into account the billions already being earned by people whose livelihoods depend on tourist dollars from Americans and foreigners itching to take in the wonders of the country’s vast, wild spaces, some $41 billion a year according to The New York Times. All told, that supported some 355,000 jobs.

I don’t have a problem with people wanting to earn a living, or really make a go at hitting it big. But when you’re talking about the industrialized extraction of natural resources, there is a huge and often permanent cost.

Matterhorn Creek in southwestern Colorado. It’s pretty, but those waters are fouled by mine tailings.

In another favorite mountain haunt of mine, north and west of Wheeler Peak in southwestern Colorado, is the Matterhorn Creek Basin, a drainage that slopes downhill from Matterhorn Peak, Wetterhorn Peak and a large collection of other, lesser mountains that make up the area’s dramatic, primordial landscape. This place is drop-dead gorgeous, but I can’t filter water there for drinking or cooking, at least not in many of the creeks and streams flowing to the south. Old, small-time mines that are long abandoned still taint the watershed with mine tailings, making the water there unfit to drink. The San Juan Range is pockmarked with gorgeous places just like Matterhorn Creek Basin that are beautiful to look at, but traversed by waterways permanently spoiled by mines of yore.

If you go out east, in Appalachia, or north, near Butte, Montana, you can see much bigger scars on the land. Strip mines, pit mines, and mountaintop removal have all done a number on these places. In my home state of Oklahoma, in an area dubbed Tar Creek, lead and zinc mines left behind noxious chat piles the size of small ski hills, fouling streams and giving local children lead poisoning. Collapsing mine tunnels threaten to swallow buildings whole. It got so bad that the entire area was declared a federal Superfund site, and two towns — Picher and Cardin — were bought out, their residents moved and businesses closed. There were booming times in that corner of Ottawa County decades ago, but now just a couple of polluted ghost towns remain.

Huge chat piles in Picher, Oklahoma, part of the Tar Creek Superfund site. The chat piles are contaminated with lead and zinc mine tailings, which forced the abandonment of Picher and nearby Cardin a few years ago because of lead poisoning concerns. (Northwest Arkansas Community College photo)

These are just a few tales from the dark side of harvesting natural resources from the ground. But no matter. Many states are hungry for economic development, and the lands they’d sell off are out of sight and out of mind to politicians in the big cities and manicured suburbs where most of their votes and donors come from. No one knows much about Matterhorn Creek’s spoiled waters because almost no one lives nearby, and getting there takes a little work. I just wish I could show it to them.

I checked a roll call of the Senate vote to approve this particular measure, and not surprisingly, both my senators were in favor of it. I didn’t bother writing Sen. Jim Inhofe. I just didn’t see the point. He’s the guy best known as the Senate’s chief climate change denier, and recently brought a snowball into the Senate chambers to prove that climate change wasn’t real. Conservation isn’t real high on this guy’s list of priorities.

I’ve heard from friends who know Sen. James Lankford, and they say he’s a reasonable man, one who will listen to others’ ideas. So I sent him a message last week. I’m still waiting for a response.

A scene from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma. The refuge is not only home to rugged peaks like this one, but herds of American bison like the ones in the foreground. Wildlife refuges are among the federal public lands that could be sold off if SA 838 is enacted.

What I’d like to tell them is that while Oklahoma doesn’t have nearly as much federal public land as many western states, we do have amazing tracts of broadleaf and pine forests in the hills of the Ouachita Mountains (home to the Ouachita National Forest). Within the crags of the Wichita Mountains (where a U.S. wildlife refuge is found) there is an amazing biodiversity that surpasses any zoo. Buffalo, elk, coyotes, eagles — so many creatures in such a rugged, picturesque and special little realm. Do these guys really want to put these places up on the auction block? Have they ever been there? Do they even care?

Conservation has its roots in places like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone, locales so impossibly gorgeous that they’ve been declared national treasures by men and women far wiser than me. Born from that sentiment was a system of public lands that helped preserve vast acreages of wild spaces that are, many times, no less impressive, places like Wheeler Peak, the Ouachita National Forest, or the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

Conservationists gave me the ability to camp in a New Mexico alpine forest, deep within the folds of a protected wilderness area where I could bask in that national treasure and share a breakfast moment with a couple of curious bighorn sheep. Hike in to Lost Lake, and you can see that, too.

That’s the beauty of public lands. My experiences can be yours, too. Or anyone else’s. These places belong to all of us. So please don’t tell me that they’re for sale.

Bob Doucette

Turkey Mountain update: Simon gets a case of the yips, postpones mall hearing again

An endangered view at Turkey Mountain. Let’s preserve the good.

Already postponed once, Simon Property Group has asked for yet another delay in presenting revised plans for its outlet mall on the west side of Turkey Mountain.

The company was set to appear before the Tulsa Planning Commission on April 15, a date that already reflected a postponement from its originally scheduled March hearing. And now, this: They want more time and wish to wait until June 17 to unveil their revisions.

I have a few theories on why this latest delay occurred. So here goes:

– Simon was taken by surprise over the public reaction to the proposed mall. This is a company used to getting its way, particularly in cities hungry for new tax revenue. The initial pushback last fall was probably ignored,with the thought that it would subside over time. Instead, it has only grown. The online petition against the mall has nearly 8,500 signatures, and the crowds at two public forums to discuss the mall plan have been decidedly against Simon’s proposal. There are a smattering of voices who are OK with Simon’s plan, but they are greatly outnumbered by those who are not.

– Simon has not won over the Tulsa City Council. While the mayor’s office has been in full support of Simon’s endeavors, other city council members have been either silent or in opposition. City council members will be the ones who will have final say over whether this project is allowed to proceed, and right now, it doesn’t look good for Simon. (Contact city council members here; emails, calls and letters are making a difference.)

– Simon was taken aback by demands for changes made by the Tulsa YMCA. The YMCA operates a kids camp directly north of where Simon wants to plop its mall, and board members are not happy about the detrimental effects the mall will have on camper experiences. The changes they seek are significant, and would alter the cost and feasibility of the project considerably.

– Simon was not prepared for the organized local opposition that has formed. The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition has turned into a credible, reasonable yet potent force in this debate. Other grassroots groups have also formed, further driving the issue home to Tulsa residents.

– Simon would like more time to possibly see the “heat” wear off.

All that is well and good, but no delays or revisions are going to change a few facts about why this proposal is bad for Tulsa. Here’s why:

– The location is bad for a large retail development. Simon would be building an outlet mall competing for shoppers in an over-retailed area (Tulsa Hills and The Walk at Tulsa Hills are just south of the proposal site). The road servicing the intersection — two lanes, no shoulders, steep hills and two big curves — is not capable of dealing with the increased traffic a mall would bring, and would be dangerous to shoppers, commuters and residents who live in the area.

– The erosion, litter and light pollution problems are not going to be solved with a few tweaks. Sorry, but when you build on top of a hill with steep ravines below, there will be storm water drainage problems, line-of-sight issues and blowing trash. Pollution concerns for the Mooser Creek watershed are real. And no matter how you aim your parking lot lights, it’s going to be a huge shining eyesore overlooking the YMCA camp and woodlands below. All of Turkey Mountain will be affected by this, and none of those effects will be good.

– The area is better preserved for recreation purposes. When it comes to quality of life, we only have so many wild green spaces. We have plenty of retail. Surveys have been conducted showing that the young entrepreneurial class of people who cities are trying to attract value outdoor recreation opportunities highly, and will often use that as a factor in determining where they will live and do business. Shopping is down the list. Degrading Tulsa’s top outdoor recreation asset is simply not in the city’s best interest, especially when you consider the culture such a place helps develop — healthy people who spend money on bikes, hiking gear, running gear, race entry fees and so forth. And because Turkey Mountain has become a regional and even a national draw for outdoor recreation enthusiasts and athletes, you’re seeing people come to Turkey Mountain from out-of-state, spending money on meals, hotels and more while they’re here. Go to Turkey Mountain on a sunny day, especially on the weekend, and you’ll see two full parking lots and trails filled with cyclists, hikers, runners equestrians and families just looking for some good outdoor time. Memories are made on the trails. Not in shopping centers.

So my advice for the executives at Simon is simple. Use the time between now and June 17 to rethink this whole deal. Use it to find another place to build your mall. Honestly, we’d love to see you succeed in that realm, just not at the expense of Turkey Mountain and all that it means to us. And if this is not possible, then use this time to plan a graceful exit. There isn’t going to be a proposal at Turkey Mountain that is going to work for you or for us. The sooner you realize that, the better off you, your shareholders and our city will be.

Bob Doucette

Turkey Mountain update: Simon Group takes a standing eight-count, delays presenting updated plans

A more detailed plan of Simon Group’s plan for an outlet mall at Turkey Mountain. Note just one entry and exit on a two lane road (traffic nightmares), and at the bottom of the map, you’ll see that the site butts right up to a ravine. No thanks.

If you’ve ever followed the boxing, you know what it looks like when a confident fighter meets a buzz saw. Back in the day, that was Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas. Everyone assumed the champ would dispatch poor Buster in three rounds or less, but we all know that didn’t happen. Iron Mike knew what he had going for him. He just didn’t properly see what was coming at him on that night.

Surprise!

Last month, the Simon Group showed up en masse to a Tulsa Planning Commission meeting and told those who were there a couple of important things concerning the outlet mall they plan to build on the west side of Turkey Mountain. First, they said they’d built more than 80 retail developments around the world, and that we should trust them. And second, they told us to just look at what they’d already done here in Tulsa.

OK, I’ll bite. They told us to trust them. Trust, as I see it, is something that comes with concrete plans and verifiable facts. What we’ve received thus far is a plan that is a little vague on important details, most important of which is how this mall, which would overlook the Westside YMCA kids camp, would affect that camp and the rest of the woodlands in terms of drainage, litter and light pollution. Many of us have no doubt the impact would be negative, and we have yet to see anything concrete that would ease those concerns.

It also doesn’t seem like Simon has taken the traffic issues as seriously as the rest of us do, especially the people who live along 61^st Street and Elwood Avenue, which is right next to where Simon’s mall would be built. Their plan calls for using a tax breaks to widen the 61^st Street bridge over U.S. 75 and a little bit of the road from the bridge to just east of the development. But anyone in the know would tell you that traffic along all of 61^st Street and Elwood Avenue, that hilly, curving two-lane ribbon of asphalt, would increase dramatically. The road is simply not built to handle traffic from such a large, high-traffic development like an outlet mall. Traffic going in and out of the mall parking lot would also be congested, as there is just one planned entry/exit.

So just from an eyeball test, the mall is going to create a traffic nightmare. Trust is, they say. Sure. Trust, just don’t verify.

On to the next point: to look at what Simon has already done here in the Tulsa Market.

I’m aware of two projects. One was the Eastland Mall in east Tulsa. When it opened in the late 1980s, it was a pretty great place, but it didn’t last long. All accounts showed that Eastland began failing not long after it opened.

It’s still open, but not as a shopping mall. Instead, it’s a repurposed property with offices (now under different ownership), a few restaurants and a tiny bit of retail. So as far as this part of Simon’s track record in Tulsa, I’d call Eastland Mall a swing and a miss.

But then there’s Woodland Hills Mall. Now this has, indeed, become a serious retail success story in Tulsa, anchoring a retail area that has become the most powerful commercial engine we have in the city.

But also, just look at it. The traffic there is as heavy as anywhere else in the city. The number of street lights between Memorial Drive and U.S. 169 on 71^st Street rivals what you might see in the block-by-block traffic control downtown. It’s a sea of big-box stores, chain restaurants, strip malls and other buildings orbiting the mass that is Woodland Hills Mall. Just the thing you want to see plopped in the middle of the city’s top urban green space, right?

Oh, and let’s just take a look at the pictures of what the property around Woodland Hills Mall looks like…

Imagine that loveliness hovering over the Westside Y. I guess we could teach kids the value of hard work by assigning them to daily litter patrol, right?

Needless to say, the skeptics go well beyond me and other trail users. Greater Tulsa YMCA officials have expressed their concerns on two different television news interviews, and members of the Tulsa City Council have expressed very public and blunt doubts about the outlet mall plan’s viability at the location Simon proposes. Many people are also not wild about subsidizing a multi-billion-dollar corporation’s plans for the mall with public funds via a tax-increment finance district.

(It might also be noted that there has been no public opposition to competing plans in east Tulsa and Catoosa.)

We’ve got plenty of places to shop in Tulsa, but not very much of this.

The argument that preserving the land as it is – wild, forested hills – has become the consensus preference for the people who actually live here as opposed to the suits at Simon’s Indianapolis corporate headquarters. People like the idea of maintaining a spot where they can hike, ride a bike, run or take their horse as opposed to yet another shopping center. We’ve got a lot of those already.

So Simon asked for a time out. Company representatives were to appear at a Planning Commission next week, but asked for a one-month continuance. Translation: After getting battered by bad press, turning public opinion and open doubts from the people who have final say on the mall’s approval, Simon is taking a standing eight-count in their corner of the ring. I guess these things happen when your plan isn’t very good to begin with, and that’s not a surprise, given how poor the site is for a mall, and the other weaknesses I’ve already noted.

That doesn’t mean this issue is decided. Far from it. But it does mean there is a growing chorus of opposition to a mall at Turkey Mountain, and that people in power are listening. That’s a trend I’d like to see continue.

There are things you can do. Here are some ideas:

If you haven’t written city council members and the mayor, do it. Encourage dialogue. Write respectful, concise and well thought-out letters and emails, but plainly state your case. And don’t just write your councilor. Write all of them. Get their contact information here.

If you live in District 2, or anywhere else in Tulsa, go to the public meeting Councilor Cue is hosting. Be there, bring your neighbors, and let your voice be heard. Turkey Mountain is important to all Tulsans and beyond, but it specifically affects her and her constituents. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. March 17 (this Tuesday) at the Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills, 1902 E. 71^st Street.

If you haven’t signed the online petition, do so. It’s more than 7,600 signatures now. Numbers matter. Be part of that growing list. Go to the petition here.

Volunteer to be a part of the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition. Turkey Mountain and other vital outdoor green spaces in the area are the things this group is trying to protect and promote, and the group does good work. More great things are in the future, including continued advocacy for the greater Turkey Mountain area. Learn more about TUWC and how to join here.

Turkey Mountain is an asset as it is. Its existence has been noted as a serious draw for people inside and outside the city, and is a great tool to recruit residents and businesses who care about quality of life issues. Building an outlet mall there would only degrade it. So stand up and be heard. Folks are listening.

Bob Doucette

Turkey Mountain update: Simon Group meets with Tulsans about mall plan, and the reception gets chilly

There has been a lot of action on the plan to build an outlet mall at Turkey Mountain, with representatives of the Simon Group meeting with members of the community and city officials as the approval process grinds on.

Simon reps has been putting on a charm offensive just before going over their plans with the Tulsa Area Planning Commission, and they even met with members of the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition to discuss that group’s concerns about the mall proposal a few days before the Planning Commission meeting took place last  week.

I got a summary of how that meeting with coalition members went, and I attended the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve learned from last week’s meetings:

Simon claims to have plans for a five- to six- lane bridge and that the state Department of Transportation will allow them to replace the 61st Street bridge at their own expense. Simon intends to get a tax increment finance district designation from the city to reimburse them for this expense, which is essentially a tax break on things like property taxes to be repaid over time if/when property values rise and other revenues from the project come in (not a sure bet). That still does not address the traffic impact on the Interstate 44/U.S. 75 interchange. Coalition members showed them the problematic access issues with the dysfunctional service roads on both sides of I-44 as well as the short merge areas on U.S. 75 over I- 44.

Simon offered no answer for the public safety issue of the Elwood Avenue and 61st Street corridor to the east of the property entrance for their strip mall. John Dionis, with Simon, blames park users for making the road dangerous by parking on the sides of the road. It was pointed out that is the pent-up demand for recreation and green space.

Simon has no plan in place to deal with trash blowing from their property onto adjacent properties. This is something the actual permanent site management will apparently address once it is hired and placed on site. Adjacent properties include the Westside YMCA (which hosts summer camps for kids, among other programs) and wild land used by hikers, cyclists, equestrians and other people seeing time outdoors.

Simon appears reluctant to share any of its 2,000 parking spaces with trail users. Instead, the company plans to go to the George Kaiser Family Foundation (one of the property owners adjacent to the proposed mall site) and see if the foundation would mind tearing up its property to put an additional 50 or so parking spaces and trailhead access. It’s been communicated to Simon that trail users do not want to sacrifice even more wild land for parking.

Simon claims its retaining walls will be constructed of wood. At some point, the fill area to be contained by these retaining walls will be 70 feet high. Though terraced in 10- to 15-foot sections, this bears more scrutiny.

Simon is projecting 750 cars per hour transiting the mall site at peak times. A traffic study was mentioned at last week’s Planning Commission meeting, but it was not presented at that time. There is no way right now to examine how Simon got to that number. Regardless, this is pretty heavy traffic for a single entry-exit plan on a road that will taper to two lanes just east of the proposed mall site’s access point.

Coalition members explained they are concerned about contaminants in the stormwater runoff. Simon claims it has ways to address this, but other than describing use of a greenbelt and different kinds of plants and soils to absorb such runoff, those plans are still a little vague. During last week’s Planning Commission meeting, a Simon official basically said they’ve done scores of similar projects before and to just “trust us.” I hope that condescending brush-off did not go unnoticed by the Planning Commission. It certainly did not escape me.

Coalition members pointed out the sightline issue from the ridge to the east and how this ruins the experience for trail users. Simon claims it will have its architect meet with coalition members, walk the valley and western leg of Snake Trail and devise a way to make the view more palatable. This shows they likely have never walked this area, just the property they intend to develop. One might describe that as a case of disconnect.

Simon said there was no possibility of developing on another site or partnering with one of the other developments. A site between 61st & 71st, Union and U.S. 75 apparently had bigger site challenges than this site.

Simon fully believes it can have a widened bridge over U.S. 75 done, site work complete, and open for business in fall 2016. More than a few people find this hard to believe.

A CHILLY RECEPTION

The Planning Commission meeting went as you’d expect, but with a few interesting twists. After trying to butter up the locals with how much they enjoyed Tulsa barbecue, Simon reps presented their plans, answered questions, and then declined to talk to local media covering the meeting.

What was interesting to me was how many questions Planning Commission members asked, and how they specifically mirrored the concerns that me and many others have been driving home over the past few months. What that tells me is that they have been hearing the message from people in the community.

They’re not alone. Apparently, so have many Tulsa City Council members. In a story in Sunday’s Tulsa World, a good number of city councilors voiced displeasure at the proposed mall plan. One councilor, Jeanie Cue (whose district is includes Turkey Mountain and the proposed mall site) is going to hold a public forum to discuss it. At this point, only Mayor Dewey Bartlett and his staff seem to be for it. The rest of the council – which has final say in whether or not this happens – seems far less enthusiastic.

That tells me the message is getting through. As the public educates itself on the problems of the site, and what’s at stake, more and more people are souring on Simon’s plan. It’s not that people don’t want an outlet mall, they just don’t want one that eats into the city’s best urban green space – an asset prized and promoted by the city – and they don’t want one that looms over a great facility like the Westside Y.

It also tells me that councilors are hearing from voters, and they’re listening. Letters and emails keep coming. The online petition keeps growing.

I have no problem with Simon or anyone opening an outlet mall in Tulsa, just not there. More and more of you seem to agree.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Clearly, this is not a done deal for Simon. Anything but. But stopping it from happening is also not a done deal. So here are some suggestions:

If you haven’t written city council members and the mayor, do it. Encourage dialogue. Write respectful, concise and well thought-out letters and emails, but plainly state your case. And don’t just write your councilor. Write all of them. Get their contact information here, and contact the mayor here.

If you live in District 2, go to the public meeting Councilor Cue is hosting. Be there, bring your neighbors, and let your voice be heard. Turkey Mountain is important to all Tulsans and beyond, but it specifically affects her and her constituents. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. March 17 at the Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills, 1902 E. 71^st Street.

If you can, be at the next Planning Commission meeting. Public input will be allowed at this meeting, and the commission needs to hear your concerns. And you can bet that those accountable to voters – the mayor and the council – will be paying attention to what happens there. The meeting is at 1:30 p.m. March 18 at 175 East 2nd Street, 2nd Level, One Technology Center, in the Tulsa City Council Chambers.

If you haven’t signed the online petition, do so. It’s well over 7,300 signatures now. Numbers matter. Be part of that growing list. Go to the petition here.

Volunteer to be a part of the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition. Turkey Mountain and other vital outdoor green spaces in the area are the things this group is trying to protect and promote, and the group does good work. More great things are in the future, including continued advocacy for the greater Turkey Mountain area. Learn more about TUWC and how to join here.

Bob Doucette

Turkey Mountain update: A bad mall plan’s details are revealed, and it still looks pretty bad

A more detailed plan of Simon Group’s plan for an outlet mall at Turkey Mountain. Note just one entry and exit on a two-lane road (traffic nightmares), and at the bottom of the map, you’ll see that the site butts right up to a ravine. No thanks.

The latest news on what’s happening with the outlet mall on Turkey Mountain is twofold: it’s not unexpected, but it’s also very revealing.

The Simon Group recently submitted more detailed plans for its proposed Premium Outlets project that it wants to build on the west side of Turkey Mountain. The site is on a privately held parcel next to the Westside YMCA and undeveloped wild land that is part of the greater Turkey Mountain area.

Simon is promising jobs and shopping. What it wants is permission to build right on top of one of the last urban green spaces left in the city, and they’ll be asking for help from the city in the form of a tax increment finance district designation, which is basically a temporary subsidy funded by you and me so they can make the needed infrastructure improvements.

If you’ve read past posts on this topic before, you know I’m not in favor of building an outlet mall there. To recap my reasoning:

The site is a bad place for a mall. The roads leading to the site are just two lanes wide, they’re very hilly, and feature a couple of sharp turns as 61^st Street turns into Elwood. Traffic in that area is already bad and will grow worse by several magnitudes if a shopping center goes up there. Widening those roads will be a nightmare to people already living nearby, and it will only get worse if and when that mall opens.

A multi-billion dollar company like Simon shouldn’t be asking for taxpayer money to build an outlet mall on such a bad site. TIF districts can be good, particularly if they end up paying off in the long run. But given how bad this site is, and how much money Simon has, approving this plan AND handing over taxpayer money is just wrong.

No matter how it’s built, an outlet mall cannot be a good neighbor. Representatives from the Westside YMCA have already gone on record with KJRH-TV that they have concerns about what a mall right on top of them would mean in terms of YMCA camper experience and erosion (I’ll get into that point in a minute). And I’ve already mentioned what’s in store for the residents living nearby if Simon moves in.

A collection of 80 stores, lots of cars and a huge parking lot presents serious drainage and pollution concerns. The proposed mall site is on a flat space with a steep dropoff into a ravine that drains into Mooser Creek, a diverse and fragile ecosystem of which all of Turkey Mountain is connected. The mall site would present rainwater runoff concerns in the form of erosion and upstream pollution from all those cars and trash dumpsters. And given how much trash already blows around, the outlet mall would only add to that problem. Simon contends it can angle parking lot lighting away from the rest of Turkey Mountain, but no matter what they do, light pollution will be present.

Wild land and a commercial shopping development are not compatible. It’s already been established that the River Parks Authority and the Kaiser Family Foundation – the two main stakeholders on Turkey Mountain – have no plans to do anything but keep the urban wilderness area wild. Wildlife in the area already deal with a fairly compressed environment, and taking a big chunk of that away would only stress those populations more.

The outlet mall at Turkey Mountain would degrade quality of life for Tulsa. Notice I didn’t say an outlet mall on its own is a bad thing. But rather an outlet mall in that location would degrade a real asset for the city, an area with more than 40 miles of wooded trails for hikers, cyclists, runners, geocachers and equestrians. Individuals and families go there to experience nature on its terms without having to drive out of the city. As it exists, the greater Turkey Mountain area is a prime site for people to get outside, exercise and get in tune with nature like no other place in the city. Plopping a mall on a chunk of that land would degrade the experience.

ON TO THE NEWS…

Simon’s more detailed proposal as submitted to the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission reveals a few interesting notes. For starters, it still includes just one entry and exit, a problem given the amount of traffic one might expect at a large retail center, and magnified when you’re talking about a two-lane road feeding it.

The edge of the development will butt right up against a steep dropoff into a drainage area to the east, so those erosion and drainage issues are very real. I’d hoped that they’d at least put some distance between the mall and the ravine, but their drawings show that is not the case.

Simon suggested that they might be willing to include some sort of trail, if feasible, into their plans. So they’re throwing us a bone. Sort of.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If this mall proposal bothers you, there are some things you can do. So here are my suggestions:

Email the mayor’s office and each of the members of the Tulsa City Council. Respectfully and concisely let them know how you feel, and why you don’t want an outlet mall at that location. You might be reminded that it’s private property, but you still have a say in how and if projects like this are approved or denied. Contact the mayor here, and find contacts for the city council here.

If you haven’t already done so, sign the electronic petition. There are more than 6,900 signatures on it now. Add to that number here.

Attend future meetings of the Planning Commission and, if it gets that far, the Tulsa City Council, when this development is being discussed. The more faces these people see and voices they hear, the more city officials will listen. On Thursday, Feb. 19, the Planning Review Committee, immediately following the 1:30 p.m. TAC meeting, will meet at 2 West 2nd Street, 8th Floor, in the Large Conference Room of the Williams Tower II Building in downtown Tulsa. No comment is taken at this meeting, but a large, silent crowd will make an impression. And then  during  a follow-up meeting, zoning changes and corridor plans will be reviewed March 18 at 1:30 p.m.,  175 East 2nd Street, 2nd Level, One Technology Center, in the Tulsa City Council Chambers. They will take public comment at that meeting. Be at those meetings if you can.

Find ways to volunteer. There are periodic cleanup and trail maintenance days out at Turkey Mountain, so be looking for opportunities to join such efforts. Also, consider joining the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, which is actively advocating for preserving and promoting Turkey Mountain as well as organizing activities like those cleanup days, among other things.

Keep using the trails, and spread the word to people you know how great it is. Many people still don’t know much about Turkey Mountain, and they won’t care about a place they don’t know or ever see. This tide is swinging the other way now, and for the better. But the more people who care about Turkey Mountain, the more city leaders will take their points of view into consideration.

Stay tuned, get active, and I’ll see you out on the trails.

Bob Doucette

Volunteers in droves: Turkey Mountain’s biggest cleanup day

We’ve seen better days at Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness. News about Simon Properties wanting to build an outlet mall on the wilderness area’s west side got a good number of people riled up, but that has not stopped some work from being done on that site. Even preliminary work, like taking core samples from the ground, has had an adverse effect on woodlands.

But on Saturday, Turkey Mountain had a good day. The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, in partnership with the River Parks Authority, the Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship, TATUR Racing and the International Mountain Biking Association, held a work day at the park. Usually, we get a couple of dozen, or maybe around 30 or 40 people show up, which is great. Over the summer, a work day with serious corporate sponsors brought out about 120 people for a National Trails Day effort.

But this work day saw around 150 people come out on a Saturday morning to do some work.

The group was sizable, and the weather was about as good as you can get in mid-January.

The cleanup crew! (Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition photo)

I was tasked with taking a crew out on the Powerline Trail. This route gets a lot of litter, and as you can see, we stuffed several bags with trash. Most people don’t litter, but some do, and over time it adds up.

My cleanup crew on the Powerline Trail. They did awesome.

Most of the trash included things like empty water bottles, beer cans and food wrappers. But we also hauled out a busted printer, tires, scrap metal and a car muffler. And that was just my group. There were several crews on all of the other trails on River Parks land, hauling out garbage. It made for quite a truckload of junk.

A truckload of trash. And this wasn’t even when the truck was fully loaded.

While I’m not happy about the carelessness some people display with their refuse, I sure was glad to have so many people come out to clean it all up.

Other trail work was done: Pruning, trimming, and on one particularly eroded trail section, a major overhaul to shore it up and make it safer for cyclists, runners and hikers. That was a major effort with a lot of hard work.

A work detail putting the finishing touches on trail rebuilding. A section called “bomb cellar” had been badly — and dangerously — eroded. It’s been shored up nicely and is much safer.

At the end of the day, Turkey Mountain became a better place because of the efforts from trail users of all stripes: Runners, hikers, cyclists and equestrians. We saw retirees, young people, athletes and families, with kids in tow. In my crew, I had two little guys eagerly attacking the trash and hauling it out.

For them, it meant not just giving back, but learning more about Turkey Mountain, why this place is important and what’s at stake concerning its future.

Something I’ve said before is definitely true here. People don’t care about something they don’t see. It explains why conservation efforts are so hard, especially when confronted by big-money players who promise the world in exchange for permanently altering the land they wish to exploit.

But when people see what is out there, whether it be Turkey Mountain, or the Grand Canyon, or some other wild place, they tend to stick up for conservation issues. It’s why we have a national parks system, why the Grand Canyon is not a massive reservoir, and why places like Yosemite, Yellowstone and many others have been allowed to remain as they have for eons. And it’s also the reason why past Tulsa leaders set aside Turkey Mountain to remain a wooded, wild area for city residents to enjoy rather than exploit.

So I’m encouraged by what I saw. Even if just 30 people showed up, I’d have been happy. But to have our biggest cleanup and work day ever, that tells me something. It tells me people care about Turkey Mountain and will work to preserve it.

Here’s to more of that in the coming days, months and years.

Bob Doucette