For over a year, in the midst of an increasing housing crisis, the Oklahoma City Council had been trying to enshrine by-right accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the municipal zoning code for its urban core. Though these compact additions add considerable economic and community value to residential properties and are known to be a key factor in relieving the affordable housing crunch, the concept encountered unexpected local opposition. With the help of the REALTOR® Party’s Land Use Initiative program, the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® (OKCMAR) led the way in finding reasonable compromise, confirming best practices, and convincing decision-makers to clear the way for urban core property owners to build ADUs as a matter of right – with less expense and red tape.
The REALTOR® Party’s Land Use Initiative program retains the law firm of Robinson & Cole, LLC to analyze zoning proposals and legislation submitted by state and local associations for review. As OKCMAR Government Affairs Director Gary Jones explains, his team sought an initial LUI analysis when the city’s planning commission first presented a draft ordinance allowing ADUs by-right within Urban Medium zoning areas. “We found their work to be great. The turn-around was quick, the analysis was orderly, and they clearly understood the importance of what was at stake. With the first review, they got into specific recommendations and addressed a lot of the low-hanging policy fruit.”
When community resistance to the proposal required a number of questionable compromises, specifically on the issues of parking and owner-occupancy requirements, the association turned to the firm again and was again guided with recommendations informed by best practices from municipalities around the country. The final draft ordinance did not adopt all the changes the REALTORS® would have liked, but as Jones notes, “You win some, you lose some. The important thing is that, while the final result may not be absolutely ideal from our point of view, it was approved unanimously by the City Council, and the city planners have come to realize that the REALTORS® are all about developing great policy.”
Over the course of the year, OKCMAR used the content of the LUI memos “All the different ways you can communicate,” says Government Affairs Specialist Landry Willis. “You name it: talking points for direct advocacy with members of the City Council; a flyer explaining the benefits and dispelling misconceptions about ADUS; and as the basis of an editorial by our president in The Oklahoman prior to the council’s final vote.”
Jones has long been a fan of the LUI program and points out that the city’s planning commission staff love the benefit, too: “As an outside entity weighing in with national best-practices, it provides them with a legitimate check on the policies they’ve been researching and crafting, giving them another level of assurance. As revised drafts emerged during the course of this process, the staff would ask us, hopefully, if we were planning to have another review.”
Willis adds that the LUI program can be especially valuable for those new to the field or associations with limited staff available for research. “This is my first job out of college, and I hadn’t studied planning, and didn’t even know what an ADU was. Now, I’m practically an expert, thanks to the extensive feedback we received from the Land Use Initiative program! It’s just amazing that the REALTOR® Party equips us with this level of on-demand expertise.”
To maintain momentum from the ADU ordinance, OKCMAR is now collaborating with NAR, the Oklahoma City Office of Sustainability, and municipal planning staff to develop pre-approved building plans and a handbook for residents who are interested in building an ADU.
To learn more about how the REALTORS® are working towards more affordable housing in Oklahoma City, contact Government Affairs Director Gary Jones at gjones@okcmar.org or 405.641.1921; or Government Affairs Specialist Landry Willis, at lwillis@okcmar.org or 405.841.5302.
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