Subdivisions & Lots

The zoning of the subject property gives the requirements for each proposed tract. Zoning requirements are found in the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County Zoning Codes.

The Agricultural and Residential zoning districts have four requirements that may seem confusing: the lot area, the land area per dwelling unit, the average lot width, and the street frontage.

Lot Area is the size of the lot of record.

Land Area is the area of a lot plus one-half or 30 feet, whichever is less, of the right-of- way of any abutting street to which the lot has access. Note that this is the land area per dwelling unit. The measurement is only applicable to Unincorporated Tulsa County Applications.

Average Lot Width is the averaging of the lot width, keeping the depth of the lot, if the lot is not square or rectangular. The formula used to determine the average lot width is to take the total square foot of the proposed tract and divide it by the depth, or the deepest part of the lot. The average lot width is not the required street frontage.

Street frontage required in the Agriculture and Residential zoning districts essentially is 30 feet on a public street. See Section 5 and 25 of the Tulsa Zoning Code and Section 207 of the County Zoning Code for more details.

The use on the subject property also plays a major role in lot-splits. Each type of use is assigned a Use Category (City) or a Use Type (County); these can be found in Chapter 35 (City Zoning Code) and Appendix E of the County Zoning Code). While the street frontage and setback requirements are found under the zoning chapter, other requirements, including the number of parking spaces, are found under the Use Type or Use Unit number in Chapter 55 (City Zoning Code) or Chapter 12 (County Zoning Code).

Property located within a Planned Unit Development (PUD) or in a Corridor zoning district will require a minor amendment to reallocate floor area space, at a minimum. Detail site plans or major amendments may be required.

According to the Subdivision Regulations, water service must be available to each proposed tract. Within the city, each proposed tract must abut a water main line. If water service is supplied through an entity other than the City of Tulsa, a letter from that entity advising if they can provide water to each tract is required.

Each proposed tract located within the City, must abut a sanitary sewer main line. This is also required for property located in the County using City of Tulsa sanitary sewer. Properties using septic (City and County) must meet the Department of Environmental Quality requirements. For those properties located within the City of Tulsa that do not have access to the sanitary sewer main line, a percolation test may be required.

If the current street right-of-way does not meet the standards according to the Major Street and Highway Plan (MSHP), the owner will need to give additional property to the city/county to meet the requirements for that roadway. Street designations are reflected on the MSHP in Appendix C in both Zoning Code books. Traffic Right-of-Way Standards are also located in Appendix C of both Zoning Codes and the Subdivision Regulations. Standard streets/roads not included on the MSHP are 50 feet in the City and 60 feet in the County.

The creation of a flag lot will require a modification of the Subdivision and Development Regulations. A flag lot is a parcel of land shaped like a flag, with a narrow strip providing access to a public street and the bulk of the property containing no street frontage.

Most lot-split applications can be reviewed and approved by the TMAPC staff. These applications are $150 and take approximately three to four weeks to process. View Application forms and Fee Schedules.

Please consult the City and County Zoning Code and the Subdivision Regulations for additional requirements.