New Edmond alliance seeks good policy on development issues

Published by Kathryn McNutt in The Journal Record on July 28, 2023.

EDMOND – A new not-for-profit organization aims to be a voice for development and business in Edmond and “stand up against misinformation,” co-founder David Chapman said. Chapman and Josh Moore – former Edmond City Council members whose terms expired this spring – are both developers and advocates for more affordable housing in Edmond. “Josh and I had been talking about finding ways to be impactful beyond City Council,” Chapman said. Joined by fellow developers Clay Coldiron and Matthew Myers and attorney Todd McKinnis, they formed Edmond Alliance 2050. Download The Free Guide Stop Bad Data From Infecting Your Organization. Talend McKinnis filed paperwork with the state in June and the group held its first meeting in mid-July at the city’s newly renovated KickingBird Golf Club. Its mission statement says, “Edmond Alliance 2050 is an organization that comes together to support good policy, reasonable policy makers and effective leadership for the future of Edmond.” Chapman said he expects 50 to 75 experts in development and business will join the alliance. Membership is by invitation and dues are $1,000 annually. “We want to support the City Council and city workers and respectfully challenge them when needed and present positive solutions,” he said. The catalyst was the ongoing opposition by some residents to development, Chapman said. The goal is to bring together positive people who are interested in “how to do projects instead of how to shoot them down,” he said. “The misinformation is rampant regarding multifamily and more attainable housing,” he said. “We want to put the truth out there.” Mayor Darrell Davis said Edmond – like every community – is challenged by misinformation and “how to get accurate information out that everyone can rely on.” Residents who don’t like a development for whatever reason usually want to shut it down rather than look for a compromise that will make it work, Davis said. “With a city this size, everything is not yes or no. There isn’t only one way to do it. There’s a variety of ways,” he said. “Bottom line is we need to find common ground … and update some old practices so we can move forward in a positive manner.” Davis said he doesn’t know much about the new alliance, but he applauds its goal of working with elected officials in a positive way and developing future leaders. “That would be great to develop new leaders to help serve in Edmond … to get in the arena and help up move forward,” the mayor said. Davis and Chapman agree Edmond – currently pushing 100,000 population – will continue to grow. “Growth and density will come. We want to do it properly,” Chapman said. The city’s building code needs some changes to address development, especially in the urban core because urban design is different and measured in inches rather than feet, he said. Chapman said 600 residential units are under construction downtown and new retail is moving in. Solutions to accommodate the growth could include rooftop parking, adjusted utility easements and smaller trash and fire vehicles. Edmond Alliance 2050 will meet quarterly to educate members on relevant real estate, construction and business items and to discuss current topics that might require action by the group, he said.