![]() The site plan for the city's new 4th Street parking structure will be considered by the Bloomington Plan Commission at its July 8th meeting. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at city hall, 401 N. Morton, and will include a public hearing on the project. [UPDATE: Commissioners pushed back action on this project until their Aug. 12 meeting. Watch the July 8 meeting on CATS.] Click here for the 4th St. garage section of the Plan Commission packet. Citing its importance to the downtown business community, the Chamber has supported this project, which replaces an aging structure on the same site. Additionally, the garage will provide parking for an expanded Monroe County Convention Center, which the Chamber also supports. According to information provided to the Plan Commission, the new 4th St. garage will be six stories high (75 feet, 8 inches tall at its highest) with 510 parking spaces, 40 indoor bicycle spaces and 10 bike lockers. It also calls for 11,189 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, including office space for city staff, and public restrooms. Entrances will be from both 3rd and 4th streets. This will require variances from the city's Board of Zoning Appeals. That's because current zoning doesn't allow for vehicle entrances onto 3rd Street, and the proposed width of the 4th Street entrance exceeds the allowable maximum per city code. The design also assumes that the city will acquire the parcel at the southeast corner of the site, currently owned by Juan Carlos Carrasquel of JuanSells.com Realty Co. While negotiating with Carrasquel, the city has also filed a Complaint for Condemnation with the Monroe County Circuit Court, beginning the process to buy the land through eminent domain. A memo to the Plan Commission states that the city's legal department "has advised that moving forward with a conditional approval is valid." Click here for additional background on this project. Other items on the July 8th Plan Commission agenda include final plan approval for the Ridge Group Inc.'s 130 apartment units, part of the Sudbury planned unit development (PUD) on West Ezekiel Drive, and adoption of the city's proposed Transportation Plan. Click here to download the full meeting packet.
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![]() Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton won't be facing any independent challengers in the Nov. 5 municipal election. And unless official write-in candidates file by noon on July 3, many residents in the city won't be going to the polls. That's because except for Districts 2 and 3, there won't be any competition in other districts or citywide races. [UPDATE: No write-in candidates filed by the July 3 deadline.] Elections generally aren't held unless there are contested races or official write-in candidates. The decision not to have an election is made by the Monroe County Election Board. Monday, July 1 at noon was the filing deadline for independent candidates. According to Karen Wheeler, Monroe County election supervisor, one potential candidate for mayor – Nile Arena – submitted fewer than 230 signatures, far less than the required 522 needed to be put on the ballot. No one else filed to run for mayor. Sunday, June 30 was the deadline for political parties to meet and select candidates for the Nov. 5 ballot. In Bloomington, the Republican Party did not caucus this year, Wheeler said. Write-in candidates do not have to submit signatures or be chosen by caucus. They simply need to complete the appropriate paperwork and file it with the Monroe County election staff by noon on July 3. If a write-in files to run for mayor, clerk or an at-large council seat, then elections will be held citywide. [UPDATE: No write-in candidates filed by the July 3 deadline.] Competition for Council in Districts 2 & 3 ![]() District 3 will see the most competitive race. Ron Smith, who won the May 7 Democratic Party primary, will run against two independents: Marty Spechler and Nick Kappas. In District 2, Republican Andrew Guenther and Democrat Sue Sgambelluri will be on the Nov. 5 ballot. Again, if no one files to be a write-in candidate for mayor, clerk or for other districts or at-large council seats, only voters in Districts 2 and 3 will be casting ballots on Nov. 5. Voter Registration Deadline: October 7 Monday, Oct. 7 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election. Click here for a voter registration application form. For information about voting requirements, photo ID regulations, absentee voting and more, check out the 2019 Indiana Voter Registration Guide or the Monroe County Election Central website. ![]() The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission recently got an update on the proposed schematic design of the 4th Street parking structure, a six-floor, 504-space structure with 9,800 square feet of retail/office space facing Walnut. Commissioners Don Griffin, Sue Sgambelluri and Eric Sandweiss heard from Josh Scism of CORE Planning Strategies, Bill Riggert of the civil engineering firm BRCJ, and Joe Raper of CSO Architects, the firm hired to design this estimated $18.5 million project. F.A. Wilhelm Construction is the construction manager. The team described design features including two public restrooms, 50 bike parking spaces, electric vehicle charging stations, public art, solar roof panels, and a drop-off zone for buses, delivery vehicles and rideshares like Uber and Lyft. The design is also oriented for possible future connection to an expanded convention center. Scism also discussed two issues affecting the site's south end: 1) a parcel on the southeast corner that the city hopes to acquire, currently owned by Juan Carlos Carrasquel of JuanSells.com Realty Co., and 2) underground and overhead utilities – for AT&T and Duke Energy – that need to be moved. The construction budget includes costs related to utility relocations, though the exact amount hasn't been determined. Carrasquel attended the meeting and spoke to commissioners about the city's efforts to buy his property through eminent domain. On June 7, the city filed a Complaint for Condemnation with the Monroe County Circuit Court, beginning the process to purchase Carrosquel's land through eminent domain. "I'm the owner of the property to the south, and I'm not a willing seller and I want everybody to know that," Carrasquel told commissioners, calling the public purpose of the city's action "questionable" and "illegitimate." ![]() He didn't take issue with building the garage. He suggested an alternative of building the structure higher and eliminating retail space, allowing the city to have the same number of spaces while letting his LLC– called 222 Hats – keep the property. City attorney Larry Allen told RDC members that the city's Board of Public Works determined that this project – including the proposed retail space – is for the public good. They made that determination at their April 30, 2019 meeting. The city is working to determine a fair valuation of the property, he said. The in-court proceedings and out-of-court negotiations are happening on parallel paths, he said. Susan Sandberg, who serves on City Council and the Plan Commission, told the RDC that she's been very impressed by the professionalism of the project team, and stressed that the entire project is for the public benefit. Allen noted that the Uniform Development Code (UDO) requires retail space in projects like this. The relevant section is within the Overlay Chapter 20.03 for the Downtown Core Overlay – specifically, section 20.03.120 (e) Ground Floor Non-residential uses. An excerpt: "(2) All properties to which this subsection applies shall provide ground floor nonresidential uses along the applicable street frontage. No less than fifty percent (50%) of the total ground floor area shall be used for such nonresidential uses. Enclosed parking garages shall not be counted toward the required nonresidential uses." During the meeting, Alex Crowley, the city's director of economic and sustainable development, talked about outreach that the city is doing to businesses, including the garage's key tenants. He noted that two businesses – Blockhouse Bar and The Back Door – can only be accessed through the alley along the west side of the garage. The city is working with them to understand their needs, he said. Other outreach will be happening with nearby neighbors and businesses, as well as the general public, Crowley said. Later in the meeting, the RDC approved an increase to CSO Architect's contract for work at both the 4th Street and Trades District garages, for an amount not to exceed $1,197,950. The item had been added to the RDC's agenda at the start of its meeting. Funding for these projects is coming from the city's Tax Increment Financing (TIF), which the RDC oversees. A Technical Review Committee has given input on the design. Chamber President and CEO Erin Predmore serves on that committee. The RDC is not required to approve the design. The project will be presented to the city's Plan Commission at their July 8 meeting, which will also include a public hearing on the design. Next steps also include submitting requests to the city for variances needed on the site and starting the bid process for demolition. The city is also negotiating a guaranteed maximum price and a base contract for construction, which will determine the bond issuance, according to city controller Jeff Underwood. "The market's good and it looks like it's going to stay good," he told RDC commissioners. At its next meeting on Monday, July 1, the RDC will be asked to approve a final contract with F.A. Wilhelm Construction for the project's "construction manager as constructor (CMc)." That meeting starts at 5 p.m. at city hall, 401 N. Morton. Click here for the meeting packet. Watch the RDC's June 17 discussion on CATS here. Read a report by Indiana Public Media here. ![]() Stefan Reiss, a Berlin-based artist, will be creating new public art for the Bloomington Trades District. The work will be located at the intersection of 10th and Madison streets, on the Gateway Plaza of the city’s 12-acre technology park. A review panel from the Bloomington Public Arts Commission selected the work – called O.T. 987 – from over 70 applicants. It will be Reiss' first U.S. installation. His proposal was chosen after a four-week public comment period, which yielded more than 350 comments on five finalists. The budget is between $80,000 and $100,000. Funding comes from Bloomington’s Percent for the Arts Ordinance (Chapter 2.12.021 of Bloomington’s Municipal Code), which stipulates that at least 1% of construction costs for eligible capital projects be used for public art at that or another site. Reiss describes O.T. 987 this way: The basis of O.T. 987 are four independent lines in the basic colours red, yellow and blue, supplemented by white, which move through space in four strands as three-dimensional signs. The individual colour lines seem to repeat themselves, but still form an individual course, overlapping and creating spaces in between. Each side of the sculpture surprises with a completely new view. During the day, the basic colours plus white determine the entire sculpture. The sculpture consists of square tubes, one side of each element being fitted with Plexiglas in the same colour. LEDs are installed in the square tubes, which are activated and controlled by a computer in the dark. A programmed choreography of the LEDs is played over a fixed period of time (e.g. 30 min.) and brings the sculpture to life at night.
During the day, the colors red, yellow and blue, or white, are separate, overlapping color strands. During the nocturnal LED programming, the luminous individual colours are transformed into exciting nuances, the light now mixes and illuminates in different shades, the basic colours are joined by new shades that create a special colour spectrum with the natural surroundings. The installation will likely be in place within 12 to 18 months. Click here to learn more about the artist. There is currently a vacancy on the Bloomington Public Arts Commission. Click here to apply. ![]() How does our local government set priorities for funding projects? Youth Participatory Budgeting (YPB) is a program that helps young residents learn this process by allocating real dollars for projects they propose. The City of Bloomington's 2019 budget includes $15,000 for a new YPB program. Students who attend a Monroe County school and who will be in grades 8-12 at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year are invited to participate. Proposed projects must benefit the general public in one of the following categories: arts/culture, education, environment, recreation, social concerns or "other." Several communities nationwide have launched some type of participatory budgeting, including Boston, Seattle, New York City and Denver. Get more details about Bloomington's effort on the city's YPB website, including a timeline for this process. Ready to apply? Click here. And follow the process on Instagram at YPB Bloomington! Want more info? Check out this post on CitizenLab: "8 Steps to Effective Participatory Budgeting." ![]() The City of Bloomington is planning to join MetroLab Network, a consortium that supports partnerships between cities and the universities in their community to boost civic innovation. Devta (pronounced DAVE-tuh) Kidd, the city's Innovation Director, announced the plans at the City Council's June 12 meeting as part of a broader presentation on her work. MetroLab's goal "is to help cities establish formal relationships with their local university to treat the city as a living laboratory and leverage the braintrust of the university, especially in research, for those really big, thorny issues that we encounter," Kidd said. The application process requires a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mayor John Hamilton and either Indiana University President Michael McRobbie, Provost Lauren Robel or Vice President for Research Fred Cate. Currently, South Bend is the only Indiana city that's a MetroLab member, partnering with the University of Notre Dame. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg wrote about the partnership in his book, "Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model." He also gave the keynote at MetroLab's 2017 annual summit, describing a project that put "smart sensors" into the city's sewer system. Check out MetroLab Network's website to learn more about this effort, including a list of members and projects. ![]() Did you know that the City of Bloomington has a quick way to report problems with services or facilities? The uReport is an online tool to alert the city about issues with parking, street repair, parks, hazardous situations and more. For example, click on the Cleanup & Sanitation icon to see a list of specific issues to report: debris removal, excessive growth (presumably not economic growth!), graffiti, leaf collection, recycling, trash, and yard waste. You can upload a photo of the situation and write a brief description before submitting. Interested in tracking city performance? The Bclear portal provides information on a range of operations, from filling potholes to annual compensation reports. There are 181 datasets available on Bclear so far, including nine that relate to business/economy. One of the Chamber's roles is to ensure our members and residents are well-informed so that they can be more engaged participants in our community. Have an issue you'd like to learn more about? Let us know! Contact Mary Morgan, the Chamber's Director of Advocacy & Public Policy, at [email protected] or call 812-336-6381. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is one of the economic development arrows in the quiver of municipal financing. In the City of Bloomington, TIF funds are overseen by the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission. Click here to read the city's 2019 annual TIF report. At the RDC's June 3 meeting, the group received an annual report on TIF revenues and allocations. (You can watch the presentation on CATS here and view the Powerpoint here.) In 2019, TIF revenues are projected to reach about $10.6 million. How does TIF work? TIF is a way to“capture” certain property taxes to be used in a specific geographic district – taxes that would otherwise be used by entities with the authority to levy taxes in that district. In Bloomington, a portion of the property taxes that would otherwise be collected by taxing units (like the city, county, and public schools) is instead used by the city for projects within the TIF district. In Bloomington, six TIFs are combined into a consolidated district. Click here for details about the city's TIF, including maps of the TIF districts.
How are TIF revenues calculated? The captured tax is only that which applies to the difference between (1) the baseline value of the property when the district was first formed, and (2) the value of the property after new construction or improvements to the property. That difference is the “increment” in “tax increment finance.” Projects funded by TIF revenues include Switchyard Park, the Trades District, street and sidewalk repair, and redevelopment of the IU Health Hospital site. Future projects might include funding the expansion of the Monroe County Convention Center. The process for updating the city's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) began in February 2018 and is still moving forward. Most recently, the latest round of public comments on the consolidated draft - including input from the Chamber - are posted here. Victor Lopez, the Chamber's advocacy intern, reviewed the 25 pages of comments. Nearly 80% of the comments from this round of public input discussed residential neighborhood concerns. The topic of single-family housing dominated the comments. This focus is reflected in a May 30 Indiana Public Media report: "Bloomington's UDO Sparks Controversy Over Single Family Zoning Changes."
The Chamber has provided input throughout the UDO process. Our most recent comments focused on ensuring that the procedures specified in the UDO are consistent and standardized. The UDO's next phase is to move to the city's Plan Commission. That commission is expected to review the UDO draft later this summer. Following approval from the Plan Commission, the city council would have 90 days in which to act on the UDO. Stay tuned for additional updates! ![]() The City of Bloomington is developing a five-year plan to identify affordable housing and community development needs. You can give input by taking this survey or attending any of the following stakeholder forums:
Click here for more information about this effort, which is being led by the city's Housing & Neighborhood Development (HAND) unit. |
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