Why Tulsa's cracking down on lawn parking, possible options

Rumors and speculation aside, the City of Tulsa prefers not to issue citations to people who park on their lawns.

Kevin Cox with the Working and Neighborhoods Department says the ordinance that prohibits people from parking on any surface that's not "made with approved all-weather surface material (asphalt or concrete) to meet city standards" has been on the books for more than 40 years.

Some have speculated that budget woes have prompted the city to crack down on violators as a fundraising measure, but at $60 per ticket, that's not realistic.

And indeed, Cox says that's not the point at all.

"Our goal is not to write citations, our goal is to educate the public and to make sure the properties get in compliance and stay in compliance without issuing the citation," he told KRMG.

He says the reason for the crackdown is the high number of complaints the city continues to receive about violators.

"This is one of our top ten code violations that's listed on the city's website," he said.

He added that there are options for people who want more parking on their property, and not all of them involve paving with concrete or asphalt.

"You can use brick pavers, or bricks, or railroad ties -- as long as it was done within the dimensions that (have) been approved by the city engineers."

He advises anyone who wants to add "alternative all-weather parking" to contact the city's Customer Care line at 918-596-2100 and ask for Development Services.

The city's website also refers residents to INCOG at 918-584-7526 for more information about legally recognized parking areas.