URBAN ONCUE
City council approves first urban OnCue station
The city council approves plans for the first OnCue in OKC's urban core
Plans for the first urban core OnCue won final city council approval Tuesday after overcoming protests from some area residents that the chain is a poor fit with surrounding historic neighborhoods.
Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid cast the only “no” vote after unsuccessfully attempting to convince fellow council members and OnCue's attorney David Box to amend the zoning application to eliminate a drive-thru on the west side of the station.
The zoning application includes several concessions by OnCue, including paying for relocating two historic homes on the site at 1305 N Western and donating them to non-profit Positively Paseo, scaling down from the norm of 16 to eight gas pumps, limiting drive-thru hours, providing extra landscaping, no pole signs and no lighted signs facing the neighborhoods.
The company also is paying for reconstruction of the three-way intersection so that it eliminates the slip lane from Classen to Western, leaving just a right turn entry to Western.
The city council heard the same arguments from divided neighbors supporting and opposing the project. Some asked for the station not to operate 24 hours a day and argued the station will hurt surrounding residents. Other neighbors argued the OnCue will be a better, safer operator than an older Gulf station and convenience store across the street.
Outgoing Ward 6 Meg Salyer said OnCue offers amenities and services long missing from the urban core.
“This is clearly a neighborhood in resurgence,” Salyer said of the adjoining Classen10-Penn neighborhood. “It's one of the greatest stories we have to tell. And it deserves the enhanced amenities we're talking about.”
Salyer also praised OnCue for being proactive in working with neighbors to come up with a site plan and design that accommodates their concerns.
“OnCue was and has been working in communication from the beginning to determine the need for extra landscaping, to work on traffic and what to do with the homes,” Salyer said. “The hours have been reduced. One of the closest commercial businesses to this is a Braum's and it has a drive thru and has been there for years. And it has not had any negative impact on the neighborhood.”