BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — The city of Bartlesville is asking residents to participate in a comprehensive plan. The plan, the city said, will put the city on a successful track for the next two decades.
Once the home of Phillips Petroleum Company, Dale Lewis of Bartlesville said the city used to be bustling.
"Frank Phillips started it. It was just the mood the guys were in, and the executives were in," Lewis said.
Lewis was there for it and said the mood in Bartlesville changed.
2 News reported in August 2023 that Phillips 66 was in the midst of laying off 100 workers after a transitional period. Those kinds of announcements scare people like Diana Cole, another Bartlesville resident.
"People from Houston, especially, want to go back to city life," she said. "It's hard to keep them here in Bartlesville, I guess."
As the city prepares its comprehensive plan, Endeavor 2045, it is seeking input from residents like Lewis and Cole.
The city's comprehensive plan has not been updated since 1999. This one will address land use, transportation, economic development, and more.
Downtown Bartlesville, especially near Frank Phillips Boulevard, has many restaurants and shops to choose from. Cole tells 2 News there needs to be more. She remembers living in Coffeyville, KS, and would often drive to Bartlesville to do most of her shopping.
"Now everybody in Bartlesville goes to Owasso - at least, that's been my experience. I want to see more businesses back downtown and at that mall." Cole said.
Lewis said he may know part of the answer.
"I think they need more leadership here like they used to have," Lewis said.
Once approved, the policies created will guide long-term decision-making by elected officials.
The city dedicated a website and 10-minute survey for residents to voice their thoughts and opinions.
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