Lawton City Council won’t consider assisted living facility until the planning commission does

The City Council won’t consider a rezoning request for an assisted living facility for the elderly until it receives a recommendation from the City Planning Commission.

Council members made the decision Tuesday on a rezoning request for a commercial structure in the residential area of Northwest Pershing and Ash Avenue, one that would allow the building to be remodeled into a facility for up to 20 senior citizens who need assisted living. The request would change the tract at 801-809 Northwest Pershing from R-1 Single-Family Residential (the most restrictive zoning category) to R-3 Multiple-Family.

It’s a proposal opposed by many nearby residents and one that came from the City Planning Commission (CPC) without a recommendation, a rare occurrence. CPC Chair David Denham, who has served on the board for more than 20 years, said it was the first time that had happened during his tenure.

Ward 4 Councilman George Gill, reading from a definition of the CPC’s duties, said the issue should be sent back to the commission “for an up or down vote on this,” before being returned to the council floor for a decision. City Attorney John Andrew said while a recommendation from that body is not legally required, it is the council’s prerogative to mandate that action. Council members indicated they wanted the commission’s recommendation before making their own decision.

Residents opposed to the rezoning were in the audience Tuesday to speak during the advertised public hearing and questioned the procedure. Andrew said residents owning property within 300 feet of the building will receive new notices of the intended rezoning when the issue returns to the council floor.

Residents say they fear the effects a commercial use will bring to their stable residential neighborhood, citing concerns about increased traffic through a neighborhood that already has a problem with traffic and speeders because streets link Cache Road and Northwest Ferris; an increase in crime and vagrants; and the effect on property values. Residents have submitted a petition of opposition, with 12 of the 30 signatures representing property owners within 300 feet of the building.

Deborah Bell purchased the vacant building in January with plans to convert it to an assisted living facility. Rhonda Bell-Todd, Bell’s sister, said the facility will provide on-site living and be manned around the clock by staff members. Most visitors are expected to be family members of residents, with quiet hours mandated between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.