Project plan faces residents' questions, concerns

Bloomington is a step closer to finalizing the Downtown Plan with a presentation to the public from the consulting group Winter and Co. at the Convention Center Wednesday night.\nNore Winter, project manager for the Bloomington Project, was pleased with the meeting.\n"I thought it was a great meeting and the public gave great ideas and raised a lot of questions," Winter said. "We will be addressing their concerns."\nThe Downtown Plan, which is part of the Bloomington Growth Policies Plan, is designed to provide both a long-term vision for Bloomington's downtown, while acting as a guide to both public and private investment decisions for many years to come, according to the Planning Department Web site. \nPlanning Director Tom Micuda was surprised by the number of people in the audience. \n"I was very pleased with the turnout, it was higher than I had expected," Micuda said. "I was also pleased with the range of questions. Sometimes you can get stuck on the same issues, but I think there were a variety."\nThe presentation encompassed all of the five major parts of the new Downtown plan. Questions from residents in the packed Convention Center followed.\nMany of the concerns raised by Bloomington residents pertained to the parking situation downtown and the lack of attraction toward other alternate methods of transportation.\nKari Price, executive director of the Monroe County Historical Society, voiced her concern about the plan's philosophy.\n"From what I heard tonight, it sounds like they are trying to bring in more people and I feel like we don't know what to do with the people that are here now," Price said. "I would like to see how they plan on handling more people in the downtown."\nJohn Smith, owner of BikeSmiths, said he feels the Downtown Plan is not yet \nfinished and wants more consideration into other methods of transportation.\n"I liked the overall look of the plan but I feel it was too car oriented," Smith said. "I own a bike shop and I wish they would've reiterated more about alternate transportation. I just think in this community we don't need to reinvent more structures for parking. I don't think the plan is near complete ... I do hope that changes are made; I think the planners need a wake up call."\nWinter was not surprised with the parking concerns raised at the meeting and said no perfect solution exists.\n"I wasn't surprised with the concerns about parking, we knew it was a key issue. At the same time, it cannot be solved overnight," Winter said. "It does point out there is no one silver bullet. We can't keep building structures, and at the same time we can't do nothing, you've got to listen to all sides."\nOne Bloomington resident wondered whether or not the city should add more parking meters to the downtown area. Winter replied the idea has benefits, one being a high turnover rate, but possible repercussions as well. \n"You have to set up a system either designed to discourage or attract parking," Winter said. "But you must also realize that people come downtown because they want something different. You must think about whom you are targeting with parking structures and meters. It's not rocket science, but it takes a little bit of coordinated thought."\nCity Council Rep. David Sabbagh was intrigued with the meter issue and said he will be looking at that possible solution with greater interest.\n"We have to accommodate alternate transportation, but I really think that pedestrians, bicycle riders and motorists need to learn to co-exist," Sabbagh said. "I think the discussion on meter parking was very interesting, I will have to look more into that; and if it really does have the turn over rate that was discussed and it helps the parking situation, then I think we need to consider it and think more about it."\nThe Planning Department will take tonight's concerns and give their own comments and recommendations to Nore Winter. From there, Winter and Co. will put the final document together and submit it to the Planning Department. Then, the plan moves onto the Common Council for vote later this year.\n-- Contact Senior Writer Lindsay Jancek at lmjancek@indiana.edu.