BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Bell’s Amusement Park may not be coming to Broken Arrow after all, but perhaps something else.
The city said the owners want to slow down development plans on the land near 71st and the Creek Turnpike.
Keith Deaver who lives near the projected amusement park site was excited to hear future owner Karl Rice with Santa Cruz Seaside Company may be considering other options for the property.
Michael Spurgeon, Broken Arrow city manager, says he got an update from Rice saying he wanted to do a market analysis on the land to see what should be developed, adding that plans may or may not include an amusement park.
City Councilor Christi Gillespie says it’s great to hear developers taking residents’ concerns into consideration.
“We want every developer in our city to be very thoughtful when they’re considering development wherever they are in our city,” she said.
Deaver says he and other residents have concerns an amusement park would cause a traffic nightmare. He says he would love to see the property developed with commercial property.
“We’ve got the Walmart, we’ve got the Tractor Supply, a few strip mall centers around there. That’s what we expect,” Deaver said. “We don’t mind our restaurants. We’re okay with that, we’re okay with progress, just not an amusement park of that size.”
Santa Cruz Seaside Company released this statement:
“The Santa Cruz seaside company is thrilled to explore development opportunities on the land we purchased in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. In the months ahead we will work closely with the city of broken arrow to study the feasibility of different development opportunities for the site, and we look forward to the process unfolding as we learn more.”
Spurgeon says Seaside is nowhere near ready to submit development applications.