The Board of Adjustment meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm in the Council Chambers, Third Floor, Municipal Building, 200 North Walker Avenue.
The Board consists of five members, appointed by the Mayor. The Board members serve without compensation for terms of three years. One Board member must also be a member of the City Planning Commission.
Public hearing items
The Oklahoma City Municipal Code charges the Board of Adjustment with the authority to hear several different types of requests which are as follows:
Special Exception: This request permits consideration of specific land uses that generally do not conform with traditional use groupings in specific zoning districts. Consideration is given to setting, physical features, compatibility with surrounding land uses, traffic and aesthetics. The Board can apply conditions on the approval of the request, which may make the use more compatible with existing or planned land uses in the area.
Variance: In any specific case where the literal enforcement of the Zoning Code regulations would cause an unnecessary or unusual hardship, upon application, the Board may vary or modify that regulation.
Oil/Gas Related Cases: Any request devoted to subsurface mining, storage and transmission of oil and gas and the production of such.
Appeals from Other City Commissions: The Board is designated the power to hear and decide an appeal of the decision of the Urban Design Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission.
Appeal from the decision of the Director: The Director, or his/her designee, is responsible for the enforcement of the development regulation of the Zoning Code. Any decision of the Director may be appealed to the Board by persons affected by the decision such as a zoning code interpretation or the issuance of a building permit.
Board Action
After a case has been fully presented, the Board will vote to approve, approve conditionally, or deny the request. A concurring vote of three members is required to approve, defer or deny an item. If the request is approved, the applicant can use the property in accordance with the Board's approved action. If denied, appeals of the decision of the Board may be filed with the District Court of Oklahoma County (any person may appeal any decision of the Board to District Court), or re-apply after a minimum of six months, providing the request is different, or the physical facts in the area have changed.