Beautification in OKC

[Plutonic Panda]

With MAPS 4 Beautification initiatives and more emphasis on the issue OKC seems to be moving in the direction of being more mindful of aesthetics.

The council is set to implement new measures to deal with rundown signs:

Old and rundown signs could soon be gone with the city's first significant update to the sign code in over a decade.

The code update comes as a part of Plan OKC, which serves as the city's guide for policy, infrastructure, and planning decisions.

"One reason we're updating it now is because our comprehensive plan that was adopted in 2015," said Oklahoma City Assistant Planning Director, Lisa Chronister. "One of its policies included their policies for community appearance and for us to address the sign codes."

Officials hope the new code will help improve the city's appearance.

"The biggest impact we hope is that community appearance as you're driving around, we hope you'll see fewer dilapidated signs, those are the signs with you know where the cabinet is busted out and there are wires hanging. Those should be removed over time," Chronister said.

Part of the new update gives the city the power to forcibly remove those signs.

"After a series of meetings, public notices meetings, city council meetings, then the city could go in and remove the signs," said Chronister.

- read more here: https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklaho...ns-art-murals#

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

Now if only we can stop the signs on every corner. The "we buy houses", "cheap divorce", "gun show at the Fairgrounds", etc. True sign pollution on so many corners.

[SEMIweather]

nm

[Plutonic Panda]

Article from the Oklahoman: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...s/69536213007/

[stlokc]

Beautification initiatives can't come soon enough. I was back in OKC last weekend for the first time in about a year and it was just jarring - the general "unkempt" nature of the roadways. It's a shame because the city is moving forward in so many respects and has such a great momentum but it's just so "tacky" looking. Case in point, Memorial Road/Turnpike from Penn to Lake Hefner Parkway. Trash piled up along the sides of the road, dilapidated chain link fence, scrawny attempts at landscaping that look so haphazard and overgrown, and this in one of the strongest demographic areas of the metro. Not that demographics of the area should matter, the whole city just really needs a "freshening up" in the worst possible way. And this is something that should be fixable with some TLC. It's not like economic development, education or other seemingly intractable problems that require brainpower, luck, and years of work. Beautification should be relatively easy with some money and effort.

[mugofbeer]

Beautification initiatives can't come soon enough. I was back in OKC last weekend for the first time in about a year and it was just jarring - the general "unkempt" nature of the roadways. It's a shame because the city is moving forward in so many respects and has such a great momentum but it's just so "tacky" looking. Case in point, Memorial Road/Turnpike from Penn to Lake Hefner Parkway. Trash piled up along the sides of the road, dilapidated chain link fence, scrawny attempts at landscaping that look so haphazard and overgrown, and this in one of the strongest demographic areas of the metro. Not that demographics of the area should matter, the whole city just really needs a "freshening up" in the worst possible way. And this is something that should be fixable with some TLC. It's not like economic development, education or other seemingly intractable problems that require brainpower, luck, and years of work. Beautification should be relatively easy with some money and effort.

I will add to this the multiple - probably 30 to 40 - once l started looking for them, abandoned light poles that have been laying on ROWs for months. This is inexcusable.

[bucktalk]

This is almost hilarious regarding some sort of beautification projects....we can't even keep streetlights on for any length of time. It seems keeping streetlights on would be simple compared to a city beautification program. Good luck.

[MagzOK]

Beautification initiatives can't come soon enough. I was back in OKC last weekend for the first time in about a year and it was just jarring - the general "unkempt" nature of the roadways. It's a shame because the city is moving forward in so many respects and has such a great momentum but it's just so "tacky" looking. Case in point, Memorial Road/Turnpike from Penn to Lake Hefner Parkway. Trash piled up along the sides of the road, dilapidated chain link fence, scrawny attempts at landscaping that look so haphazard and overgrown, and this in one of the strongest demographic areas of the metro. Not that demographics of the area should matter, the whole city just really needs a "freshening up" in the worst possible way. And this is something that should be fixable with some TLC. It's not like economic development, education or other seemingly intractable problems that require brainpower, luck, and years of work. Beautification should be relatively easy with some money and effort.

^^
I've always, always said that this city is ugly with jewels scattered about. The problem is the city spends so much money on making new things gorgeous, then never or hardly ever maintains it and it becomes ugly. It's everywhere. I've always thought it was crazy that ODOT spends so much on right of way to have to mow when they can make interchanges with no grass -- see highways and interchanges in the DFW metro area for example. No grass to have to mow. Meanwhile here, look at the new I-44/I-235 junction -- grassy knolls everywhere that they won't mow and it'll one day turn ugly.

[Laramie]

It's going to take time, OKC is moving in the right direction especially with the dilapidated sign enforcement.

[Celebrator]

The best thing to do is be a squeaky wheel. It works! I am on the Action Center https://www.okc.gov/residents/action-center ALL THE TIME reporting "Uncontained/Loose Trash" and Potholes, etc. They are actually very responsive to this reports. Sometimes they have potholes filled in less than 24 hours. I email ODOT all the time (mpr@odot.org) with concerns on the local interstates and they, too, are surprisingly responsive. And here is the link to report concerns to the Turnpike Authority https://oklahoma.gov/ota/contact-us/...port-form.html Haven't used this much, because usually the pikes are in pretty good shape. I email the City of Edmond all the time too with concerns. They all probably know me by name! Haha. But, hey, that's why the contact channels are there, right? My advice is just communicate! They can't do anything if they don't know a problem is there.

[BridgeBurner]

The best thing to do is be a squeaky wheel. It works! I am on the Action Center https://www.okc.gov/residents/action-center ALL THE TIME reporting "Uncontained/Loose Trash" and Potholes, etc. They are actually very responsive to this reports. Sometimes they have potholes filled in less than 24 hours. I email ODOT all the time (mpr@odot.org) with concerns on the local interstates and they, too, are surprisingly responsive. And here is the link to report concerns to the Turnpike Authority https://oklahoma.gov/ota/contact-us/...port-form.html Haven't used this much, because usually the pikes are in pretty good shape. I email the City of Edmond all the time too with concerns. They all probably know me by name! Haha. But, hey, that's why the contact channels are there, right? My advice is just communicate! They can't do anything if they don't know a problem is there.

Yeah, not wrong. I turn in graffiti anytime I see it and the places usually have a notice taped to the door next time I go by.

[Zuplar]

^^
I've always, always said that this city is ugly with jewels scattered about. The problem is the city spends so much money on making new things gorgeous, then never or hardly ever maintains it and it becomes ugly. It's everywhere. I've always thought it was crazy that ODOT spends so much on right of way to have to mow when they can make interchanges with no grass -- see highways and interchanges in the DFW metro area for example. No grass to have to mow. Meanwhile here, look at the new I-44/I-235 junction -- grassy knolls everywhere that they won't mow and it'll one day turn ugly.

I agree with all of this. It definitely seems like lack of proper maintenance is a big issue. I think all the time when I'm driving around it would be amazing if grass was mowed and trimmed regularly. That alone would make a huge difference. Combine that with street cleaning and a lot of the unkempt look would be gone.

[stlokc]

Lack of maintenance is a big issue, possibly the biggest. But it's not the only issue. They also don't design roadways and junctions to include many landscaping elements to begin with. Probably so they won't have to maintain them.

There are a lot of barren expanses. It's amazing what simple tree planting would do over time.

[khook]

Speaking about landscape elements that have been designed at various roadways and junctions. What good does it do if the landscape elements have been installed but then the irrigation systems are not turned on during the dry and hot periods that happen from time to time. So the new and existing landscaping is allowed to die. Creating another round of tax payer expense for clean out and replacement or just clean out. I recently asked one of the city counselors the direct question of who was responsible for turning on the irrigation systems, that I was concerned we were allowing the landscaping that taxpayers paid for to just wither away and die. He did not have too much concern or interest, His reply was very cavalier. Call the Action Line.

[RangersYear]

Now if only we can stop the signs on every corner. The "we buy houses", "cheap divorce", "gun show at the Fairgrounds", etc. True sign pollution on so many corners.

It's my pet peeve. If there's no one behind me, I put my car in park and grab these and toss them in my car. If the gun show or stump removal guys want to come find me, go for it. Stop trashing the city.

[HangryHippo]

It's my pet peeve. If there's no one behind me, I put my car in park and grab these and toss them in my car. If the gun show or stump removal guys want to come find me, go for it. Stop trashing the city.

You’re doing the Lord’s work!

[bucktalk]

While at a OKC intersection, the car next to me threw out a half filled 32oz plastic Oncue cup out their window into the street. I yelled, "are you serious? That's disgusting". They responded, "mind your own business"...then flipped me off and drove away. Sadly, it seems a lot of people don't give a sh*t how trashy the city is.

[Mississippi Blues]

I’ve never understood the throwing litter out of your window. Does it actually hurt you to let your trash sit there until you get to your destination where there will almost for sure be a trash can? Why do you have to throw it away the second you get done with it? Why not put a small trash can/bag in your car if throwing it away as soon as you’re done with it is such a priority to you?

Not to mention, if you’re throwing something out in the middle of an intersection, it quickly does become my problem because then either I or someone else has to pick it up, or I and hundreds/thousands others have to see it when we drive past it, or someone drives over it and crumbles it into the roadway where it stays until a rain washes it away or it disintegrates over time, or it blows into the grass/ditch next to the roadway where it stays until someone picks it up or the wind eventually carry’s it out of sight, etc etc. The second you toss it from your car into a public roadway, it becomes everyone’s problem. You’ve got to be all kinds of disgusting, selfish, short sighted, careless, lazy, and other degenerate things to toss stuff out of your window while driving down the road instead of gathering it together when you get home and putting it in your trash can or putting it in the trash when you get gas or cleaning out your car when you go to wash it. I mean there’s a plethora of options that might require slightly more effort than rolling down your window and tossing, but they’re not that much harder and just require a slight amount of concern for things besides yourself.

[Rover]

I’ve never understood the throwing litter out of your window. Does it actually hurt you to let your trash sit there until you get to your destination where there will almost for sure be a trash can? Why do you have to throw it away the second you get done with it? Why not put a small trash can/bag in your car if throwing it away as soon as you’re done with it is such a priority to you?

Not to mention, if you’re throwing something out in the middle of an intersection, it quickly does become my problem because then either I or someone else has to pick it up, or I and hundreds/thousands others have to see it when we drive past it, or someone drives over it and crumbles it into the roadway where it stays until a rain washes it away or it disintegrates over time, or it blows into the grass/ditch next to the roadway where it stays until someone picks it up or the wind eventually carry’s it out of sight, etc etc. The second you toss it from your car into a public roadway, it becomes everyone’s problem. You’ve got to be all kinds of disgusting, selfish, short sighted, careless, lazy, and other degenerate things to toss stuff out of your window while driving down the road instead of gathering it together when you get home and putting it in your trash can or putting it in the trash when you get gas or cleaning out your car when you go to wash it. I mean there’s a plethora of options that might require slightly more effort than rolling down your window and tossing, but they’re not that much harder and just require a slight amount of concern for things besides yourself.

Many people have no pride in their community, and probably themselves, if they spew trash. It is usually a lazy gesture with little care for anyone else. You can't rehabilitate or instill pride in people who are too undisciplined and caring to have any.

[Plutonic Panda]

It doesn’t bother me so much when people litter in cities(no I don’t litter) but I will say something if I see someone do it in a national park or forest. People are going to litter in cities. That’s just part of it. It sucks but minding your own business is probably the best way to go about it. Pick your battles, IMO.

[Rover]

It doesn’t bother me so much when people litter in cities(no I don’t litter) but I will say something if I see someone do it in a national park or forest. People are going to litter in cities. That’s just part of it. It sucks but minding your own business is probably the best way to go about it. Pick your battles, IMO.

Yes, disrespecting and trashing up a coyote’s habitat is terrible, but disrespecting and trashing up your neighbor and fellow citizen’s’ habitat is okay…don’t make a fuss.

[Brett]

I would like to see the city along with OCPD and possibly OG&E (because they are linemen) to implement a task force that would remove the lace tied sneakers hanging from the electrical/utility lines that are a symbol for illegal drug dealing in the area close to those locations. It would be nice if the city/OCPD could geo-locate these symbols with GIS and create a map to use for drug enforcement task force teams and put pressure in those locations to drive out drug dealers.

[ComeOnBenjals!]

Maybe it already exists, but I think that OKC could really benefit from a tree-planting program similar to Tulsa's Up With Trees. Having trees around every highway on/off ramp improves aesthetics more than you would think.

[progressiveboy]

Agree with a lot of the posts. The sign ordinance is a great start! OKC needs to implement to plant "lots" of trees and have better streetscaping and placemaking in place. It would be great if MAPS 5 gets passed that it will be dedicated to repaving every single street in "concrete" and the continuation of sidewalks plus have a endowment for permanent upkeep.

[dford2]

I agree with the common area tree planting throughout the city (including medians, Highway right-of-ways, parks, etc However (and I've noticed this several times), once trees and shrubs are planted, there's no one maintaining them, I personally would rather see bare, open land, then land covered with dead trees!