Yesterday, we told you the sad but-all-too-real story about Governor Fallin's daughter Christina – a.k.a Hipster Boo Boo – living in a trailer on the grounds of the Governor's Mansion.
Smelling a clickable story like a Hipster smells a PBR, KFOR Channel 4 scrambled Bob Moore Chopper 4 to bring us impressive aerial pics of the "not permanent" residence.
Check this out:
We criticize and mock Christina quite often on this site, but let's give her props for picking up the empty bottles of Jack from around the trailer and taking down the Chanel scarves she was drying on the electrical lines. That was a heady move. The place looks really classy.
In our original post, we questioned the legality of Hipster Boo Boo's living arrangement. We weren't the only ones...
KFOR filed this report:
According to Oklahoma City city code, travel trailers cannot be used as a dwelling for more than 14 days in any calendar year. They are also only allowed to temporarily be connected to a home’s electrical hookups.
From a bird’s eye view, it appears Christina’s trailer is connected to more than just electrical, and as stated earlier, it has been there since April – well over 14 days.
However, despite being in Oklahoma City, the mansion is exempt from city code because the grounds are governed by the state, meaning Christina’s living arrangement is legal.
Yep, the mansion is exempt from city code because it's on state land. Thanks for investigating, KFOR! You guy's rock. Case closed!!!
Or is it?
We've conducted our own investigation and things don't appear to be as cut and dry as KFOR would make you believe.
We learned the Governor's Mansion falls in a special area called the The Capitol-Medical Center Improvement Zone (CMZ). It includes the State Capitol complex, the OU Health Sciences Center, neighborhoods, businesses, roadways etc.
Here's a map. I highlighted the Governor's mansion in red:
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In the 1970s, the Oklahoma Legislature and Governor's office (for the uneducated, those are two of the five branches of government) established the Capitol-Medical Center Improvement and Zoning Commission to develop the area and implement strict district zoning regulations. According to this contract, the City of Oklahoma City enforces the code and zoning regulations within the CMZ.
The Commission's Administrative Rule Book, which was last revised in 2008, has very specific and detailed regulations regarding campers / travel trailers.
Check it out:
120:10-5-5. Storage and parking of trailers and commercial vehicles
Commercial vehicles and trailers of all types, including travel, camping, and hauling, shall not be parked or stored on any lot having less than fifteen hundred (1,500) square feet of area which is occupied by a dwelling or on any lot in any residential district except in accordance with the following provisions:
(1) More than one (1) commercial vehicle, which does not exceed one and one-half (1 1/2) tons rated capacity, per family living on the premises, shall be permitted and in no case shall a commercial vehicle used for hauling explosives, gasoline or liquified petroleum products be permitted.
(2) Not more than one (1) camping or travel trailer or hauling trailer per family living on the premises shall be permitted and said trailer shall not exceed twenty-four (24) feet in length or eight (8) feet in width; and further provided that said trailer shall not be parked or stored for more than one week unless it is located behind the front yard building line. A camping or travel trailer shall not be occupied either temporarily or permanently while it is being parked or stored in any area within the Capitol-Medical Center Improvement and Zoning District.
We've searched around, and there does not seem to be any special provision that exempts the Governor's Mansion from these rules or regulations. On that level, this case looks pretty damn cut and dry.
1. The Governor's Mansion falls within the The CMZ.
2. The CMZ code book does not allow individuals to occupy a trailer.
Knowing that, it would seem Hipster Boo Boo's living arrangement violates the code, the trailer must go, and Mary Fallin has to pay a fine.
But apparently it's not that simple...
Oklahoma City enforces code for the CMZ, so I spoke with Chad Davidson, the city's Chief Code Inspector. His somewhat salty, very short, WTF-are-you-doing-calling-me response was "The mansion is state property. The code applies to private property. We don't handle it."
His response confused me. Using that rationale, I guess Mary Fallin can grow the grass 10 feet high, play country music as loud she wants, and hunt down Democrats with pit bulls on the Mansion's grounds and totally get away with it.
Also, Chad's excuse seems to contradict the very first article in the code book:
"The regulations contained in this Chapter are necessary to encourage the most appropriate use of land; to maintain and stabilize the value of property; reduce fire hazards and improve public safety and safeguard the public health; to decrease traffic congestion and its accompanying hazards; to prevent undue concentration of population; to create a comprehensive and stable patter of land uses upon which to plan for transportation, water supply, sewage, schools, parks, public utilities, public buildings, and other facilities; to bring about the coordinated physical development of the District in accordance with present and future needs; and to insure efficient expenditure of public funds."
Since I couldn't get a straight answer from Chad, I called the Capitol-Medical Center Improvement and Zoning Commission. They would know what's up, right? I spoke to some dude named Ben who nervously gave me the phone number of some dude named Dan Ross. Dan's insanely long title is "Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services." I left him a voicemail to see who enforces the code, and if the Governor's Mansion is exempt from it because it's on "state property." He has not returned my call.
I then emailed the Governor's Office for an answer. I asked if Hipster Boo Boo's trailer violates any state or municipal codes. They said they would check and get back to me, but also pointed me to KFOR's "explanation" about state land. I then asked specifically if the Governor's Mansion has to abide by the rules and coding regulations set forth by the Capitol-Medical Center Improvement & Zoning Commission. They told me they would check with counsel and get back with me.
Since I was getting the runaround by the city, CMZ commission and Governor's office, I decided to go the place that knows Oklahoma's laws better than anyone: Devon Energy...
I'll let you know what Devon Energy has to say. I'll also update the story if we get a clear answer from the City, State, CMZ or Governor's office on whether or not Hipster Boo Boo's trailer violates any code. Well, any code outside that of poor taste. She broke that one a long time ago.
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Update:
It's time to pull a Regular Jim Traber and give it up to ourselves! Thanks to our award-winning investigative reporting and research, Governor Fallin is moving Hipster Boo Boo's trailer off the grounds of the Governor's Mansion.
She spoke with Linda Cavanaugh about the decision during the 4:30 news. Her staff also got in touch with The Oklahoman. For some reason, they never had their counsel send us an email.
Here's the NewsOK.com story:
Gov. Mary Fallin's daughter, Christina, who has been living out of a trailer parked on the grounds of the governor's mansion, will move the vehicle after discovering the arrangement violates a code.
Alex Weintz, the governor's spokesman, said that while city codes don't apply to the mansion grounds, a code maintained by a state commission is apparently being broken...
Weintz said parking of trailers on the property is governed by the state's Capitol-Medical Center Improvement and Zoning District.
The commission has a code that such a trailer should not be occupied temporarily or pemanently while it is being parked or stored in the district.
"This is a code, an administrative rule," Weintz said. "It is not a law. No one is alleging a law has been broken."
Weintz said the governor's office notified the commission of the violation and advised that it would be moved.
He said Christina frequently goes in the mansion, but also enjoys the convenience and privacy of the trailer, which is on a corner of the large property and is hooked to the mansion's water and electricity.
