Variance Decisions in Tulsa County

A variance is an authorized departure from the strict requirements of a zoning ordinance. Rather than changing the underlying zoning classification (which is what rezoning does), a variance allows a property owner to deviate from specific rules - like setback distances, building height limits, lot coverage ratios, or parking requirements - while keeping the same zoning designation. ZoneWire tracks variance activity across Tulsa County, OK public meetings.

ZoneWire monitors Tulsa County, OK planning and council meetings, transcribes them, and flags variance activity. As of the latest update we have analyzed 0 meetings and detected 0 variance mentions.

Tracking variance in Tulsa County surfaces zoning and development signals early, so developers, investors, and brokers can evaluate parcels and approvals before they reach the broader market.

Zoning in the unincorporated area of Tulsa County is governed by the Tulsa County Zoning Regulations, adopted by resolution on September 30, 2024 and effective October 1, 2024 under the authority of Title 19, Section 863.1 et seq. of the Oklahoma Statutes. These regulations apply only to public and private development within the unincorporated area of the county; they do not apply inside incorporated municipalities, which have their own zoning powers. Land within a city's zoning jurisdiction (such as the City of Tulsa) is regulated by that municipality instead.

The Tulsa County Zoning Regulations establish agricultural districts (AG, Agriculture; and AG-R, Agriculture-Rural Residential); residential districts (RE, RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RD, RT, RM-0, RM-1, RM-2, and RMH mobile home park); and office, commercial, and industrial districts (OL, OM, OMH office; CS, CG, CH commercial; and IR, IL, IM, IH industrial). The code also provides special districts, including the PUD (Planned Unit Development) district and the FD (Floodway) district. Each district has its own list of permitted uses, special exception uses, and lot and building regulations.

Planning services for unincorporated Tulsa County are administered by INCOG (Indian Nations Council of Governments) Planning Services, which processes rezonings (zoning map amendments), variances, special exceptions, subdivisions, lot splits, and comprehensive plan amendments. Applications are submitted to INCOG at 2 West Second Street, Suite 800, Tulsa, OK 74103. Rezoning requests and plan matters go before the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (TMAPC), while variances and special exceptions are heard by the Tulsa County Board of Adjustment.

Under the zoning map amendment procedures of the Tulsa County Zoning Regulations (Sec. 14.030), the planning commission (TMAPC) must hold a public hearing and make a recommendation on a proposed rezoning. Following receipt of that recommendation, the Tulsa County Board of County Commissioners (the county commission) holds its own public hearing and makes the final decision. The county commission may also remand a proposed map amendment back to the planning commission for further consideration. Rezoning decisions are to be based on the county's comprehensive plan.

The TMAPC is a joint city-county cooperative planning commission authorized by Title 19, Section 863 of the Oklahoma Statutes and created in 1953 by the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County. It has eleven members: six appointed by the City of Tulsa, three appointed by Tulsa County, plus the Tulsa Mayor and the County Commission Chair (or their designees) as ex-officio members. TMAPC serves as a recommending body for zoning requests within the Tulsa city limits and the unincorporated areas of Tulsa County, and it maintains the comprehensive plan that guides development and zoning decisions.

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