Commission approves residential rental development

The Bloomington Plan Commission approved a petition for preliminary approval of a residential rental development just off Sare Road on the city's southeast side.\nThe petition, made by L & M Rentals, was to re-zone 46.5 acres to enable higher density building. Previously, the land was zoned for only one unit per acre. This petition will allow L & M to construct 254 residential units on the property. \nThe development will feature some single, duplex and stacked units. The garages and car access will be in the rear of the houses, and the units will be moved toward the streets and sidewalks, creating more of a neighborhood feel within the development. \nJeff Fanyo, the petitioner, highlighted some of the features of his plan. He said there would be a clubhouse and pool in the middle of the community, garages that were built into the ground and two gazebos. \n"We hope to be a pedestrian friendly development," Fanyo said.\nHe described the community as being built on a "pedestrian scale," with the pool and clubhouse serving as "destinations" for residents.\nThe proposal also calls for one acre of the land to be turned over to the city for future use as a fire department. The fire department has been looking for a location to expand along Sare Road, and this site would be right where they want to be located.\nThe planning department recommended approval by the plan commission. The department noted that development in this area would have a small impact on the environment. In many cases, environmental concerns hamper developments in other areas of the city.\nResidents of neighboring residential developments voiced their concerns with the new community. Additional traffic was an issue for many people because Sare Road is in need of improvements to ease congestion. Others were worried that this was a rental neighborhood and may attract many college students instead of families, as L & M is targeting. \n"(The units) are purposely priced above what students will pay," Fanyo said.\nTom Micuda, city planning director, highlighted some of the traffic improvements the city will complete in the next few years. The main improvement is a stoplight at the intersection of Sare Road and Rogers Road. \n"If the city did not have the Sare-Rogers intersection on a short-term capital improvement plan, you would see a different recommendation (from the Planning Department)," Micuda said.\nMembers of the commission agreed with the concerned citizens and added some conditions to the proposal they sent to the city council. \n"The most difficult thing is the change in zoning and the fact that it is all rental," said Bill Stuebe, a member of the commission.\nCommission delays decision on corrections facility\nThe plan commission decided a proposed corrections facility and a youth detention center on an 85-acre site on the southwest side would be discussed further at the next meeting, on July 8.\nThe Monroe County Commissioners petitioned the city to allow the list of permitted uses to be changed to enable the construction.\nThe land, which is just south of the old RCA television factory, would have buildings serving as a youth detention center, a community corrections facility and a building to store archives and public documents. The land could also be the future site of a jail.\nWhile most attending the meeting agreed there was a need for facilities such as this, there was no consensus on where the facilities should be built.\nAt this time, corrections facilities are housed in the justice building with the higher security jail. The Commissioners said the justice department is overcrowded, and moving the community corrections would relieve the problem. \nBrian O'Neill, representing the Monroe County Commissioners, reminded the plan commission that while the county will build the corrections facility, it will serve the needs of both the county and city. Many people who are in the community corrections program return to live in Bloomington, and O'Neill said a better facility would help keep these offenders out of jail. \nThe debate continued as local residents asked the plan commission to reconsider placing these facilities near their homes. The plan calls for significant buffers, but many nearby residents still feel uncomfortable with the plan.\nDavid Sabbagh, who serves on the Bloomington City Council, wondered why these facilities couldn't be built near the Justice Building and City Hall, creating a government neighborhood downtown.\nOthers, such as Commissioner Susan Fernandes, seemed content with the plan proposed by the county.\n"I think this is probably one of the best sites for (these facilities)," Fernandes said.