By Carol Cole-Frowe
The Norman Transcript
Sat, May 17 2008
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A social hosting ordinance will be considered by the Norman City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday.
“The social host ordinance has been adopted by communities to strengthen underage drinking regulations and in response to the wide ranging and devastating consequences of underage drinking, such as traffic crashes and fatalities, sexual assault and other forms of violence and alcohol poisoning,” wrote Assistant City Attorney Jeanne Snider in a memo to councilmembers.
Snider wrote that the ordinance would “place additional responsibility on hosting a gathering to prohibit furnishing alcoholic beverages to underage persons and target the location in which underage drinking takes place.”
Oklahoma cities that have adopted a similar ordinance include Edmond, Clinton, Midwest City, Moore, Owasso, Ponca City, Tecumseh, Yukon, Duncan, Mustang and Shawnee.
Council also will consider rezoning property at 623 N. Porter Ave., currently being used as a parking lot, for a 4,500-square-foot warehouse for a medical equipment business. There are several Pod storage units on the parking lot, which formerly was adjacent to a McDonald’s restaurant.
Applicants on the request are Aaron and Carol Barnes.
The rezoning request has drawn protests from several neighbors to the property, urging no more intrusions into core Norman neighborhoods.
The Norman Planning Commission split its vote 5-3 in favor of recommending approval of the change.
Other items on the council’s regular agenda include:
• Consideration of a request for a special use for a church for an addition to the Wesley Foundation’s student center at 428 W. Lindsey St.
• Consideration of a request from the University Lutheran Church for rezoning and a change of designation for 910 Elm Avenue and 1015 College Avenue to Institutional Designation and removal from High Density Residential Designation and placing 920 Elm Ave. in the High Density Residential Designation and removing it from the Institutional Designation. The move would allow a swap of the residences at 910 and 920 Elm Ave. and demolition of the north structure at 910 Elm Ave.
The triplex at 1015 College Ave. will be used as education space until the church’s new wing is constructed, with plans to demolish it and build a parking lot.
• Consideration of changes in the City of Norman’s franchise agreement with Cox Communications.
• Consideration of adjourning into an executive session to discuss a possible settlement on a tort claim regarding the 2005 shooting of 17-year-old Richard Lee Sanchez by Norman Police Officer Chad Vincent.
More detail on the consent agenda is available online at the City of Norman’s Web site at www.NormanOK.gov.
The council meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall, 201 W. Gray St.
A pre-meeting conference will be 5:30 p.m. for discussion of maintenance responsibility and reconstruction of 60th Avenue NW/Western Avenue between the City of Norman and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The conference will be in the study session room at City Hall.
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