Cleveland County commissioners approve turnpike frontage roads despite protests

Norman residents and passionate critics against ACCESS Oklahoma nearly overflowed the Cleveland County commissioners' meeting room Monday as the board unanimously approved a resolution to require frontage roads and access points for the east-west connector.

"You're going to hear our voice when we vote against all of you!" Heather Messer, a Norman resident, shouted in the middle of the meeting.

Several people in opposition to the turnpike expansion interrupted the meeting, yelling remarks criticizing the commissioners and asking why public comment wasn't allowed until after the board voted on the resolution.

The resolution affirms that if the east-west connector is being installed across Cleveland County, it must include access points and free frontage roads for residents. The commissioners' vote comes after a split ruling in 2023 by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to validate the expansion plan.

The 28-mile east-west connector turnpike is designed to connect Newcastle, Blanchard and Tuttle at State Highway 37 and NW 32 and cross the South Canadian River east to Interstate 35. The toll road will then continue east and northeast to Interstate 40 to connect with the Kickapoo Turnpike.

More: Design work resuming on downtown OKC turnpike extension: What to know

The turnpike is part of the $8.2 billion, 15-year ACCESS Oklahoma turnpike expansion program started in 2022 that was then paused for nine months due to legal challenges by Norman-area residents fighting to keep their homes and businesses.

"It would be a significant and lasting disservice to our community to build a turnpike without local access and free frontage roads," said Storme Jones, Cleveland County communications director.

The resolution does not approve the turnpikes, Jones said after the meeting, because the Supreme Court already did. Without access points, folks in Norman neighborhood Indian Hills would be landlocked and left without a way to get to their properties, he said. That would force the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to take about 30 additional properties.

"The commissioners saw this offer from OTA of approximately $160 million in local infrastructure and understood that it's really a historic investment in local infrastructure in that area, and if this passes us by, that level of investment will never again be possible in that area from a local infrastructure standpoint," Jones said.

Angry Norman residents speak out against turnpike vote

This rationale wasn't explained to the angry residents during the meeting, however, leaving a law enforcement officer routinely asking the disruptive crowd to be quiet.

"Our houses are on the line," said one resident in the middle of the meeting.

Public comments were allowed after the commissioners voted on each agenda item with a limit of two minutes per person for 10 minutes total.

During that time slot, Rob Norman argued that the legal questions over the east-west connector and south extension weren't settled. Norman is an attorney representing residents opposed to the Norman-area toll roads.

"Gentlemen, the world is changing," Norman said. "It's no longer OK for a government power to exercise eminent domain just because it can."

He added that the Norman City Council spent a month listening to the public's concerns regarding the turnpikes and voted against a similar resolution.

Last year, Norman councilmembers unanimously rejected a resolution that asked for the Norman City Council to “acknowledge” the ACCESS Oklahoma plan to build turnpikes through “critical” areas, including the city’s water supply, flood hazard areas and Lake Thunderbird tributaries.

At that time, the turnpike authority responded by canceling plans to build frontage roads and other amenities discussed in connection with new toll roads to be built through Norman and adjacent communities.

On Monday, Jones said it's important to acknowledge the residents whose properties will be upended as part of ACCESS Oklahoma, adding that "two wrongs don't make a right."

"The turnpike is coming is understood to be a fact at this point. I think 10 years down the road if the commissioners were to say, 'No, we don't want on ramps or exits,' that would be another wrong to the folks who live in that area."

Randy Carter, director of strategic communications, told the commissioners he was disappointed in their decision. He said he believes they gave up on fighting against the turnpikes.

"I'm under the impression that the use of eminent domain for economic development is against the law. I think that's something that you all should consider," he said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Cleveland County commissioners approve turnpike roads despite protest