THE RIPKEN EXPERIENCE OR JUST SOME LITTLE LEAGUE FIELDS??

The proposed baseball complex development is located at 106th & Elm/Peoria.  It all started with the public hearing sign going up back in April 2023.  Residents took notice and quickly spread the word that the City Council had a resolution supporting a tourist attraction/commercial endeavor known as The Ripken Experience. The citizens had less than twenty days to access and react to the development being proposed.  Over 400 residents came to the Jenks Planning Commission meeting to make public comments.  At the June 27, 2023 city council meeting, the Jenks City Council approved the Planned Unit Development PUD for the Fields at Elm Creek Park; the Jenks Coalition for Smart Growth filed a referendum petition in order to have a citywide vote on that legislation. The Jenks City Clerk verified 933 signatures (when only 512 were required!)

 

In September, the developer took the three main petitioners to court saying their use of the words "large commercial enterprise" and their lack of including green space in the petition gist, led the petition signers to be misled.  The gist of the proposition, which was taken from the legislation reads: 

 

"Shall ordinance number 1617 which provides for amending the zoning map of the City of Jenks, Oklahoma by rezoning property located in the vicinity of West 106th Street and elm Street from 'AG' Agricultural to 'PUD -142' Planned Unit Development which will permit the construction f up to 10 baseball fields and 10 accessory buildings, and the operation of a large 116 acre commercial enterprise known as the 'Ripken Experience' on this property be approved? A 'yes' vote is a vote in favor of this ordinance approving the action of the City Council authorizing this development on this property.  A 'no' vote is a vote to reject this action of the City Council and retain the 'AG' Agricultural zoning."

 

At the end of December 2023, the petitioners filed an appeal.  Links to the legal cases are below. 

​