OKC Council seeks to limit preservation commission (2019)
City Council members David Greenwell and Mark Stonecipher proposed making the Council the sole initiator of historic preservation designations, stripping the Historic Preservation and Planning Commissions of that power. The move followed the Council's decision to override the HP process to allow the sale of First Christian Church.
The Council voted 5-4 to advance the proposals to review, despite objections from Mayor David Holt and urban-core council members.
The episode highlighted ongoing friction between development interests and preservation review in Oklahoma City.
It shows the political pressure that can build when preservation rules slow or block development — the same dynamic behind the Oct. 16 continuances.
