Council gives Jill's House green light

The Bloomington Common Council gave Jill's House the green light to begin construction at Wednesday night's meeting.\nBuilding plans for the 60-bed temporary housing facility went under scrutiny recently because the proposed site is on part of the Griffy Lake watershed, and the area is environmentally sensitive. Bloomington has a "general policy to discourage development in the Griffy watershed," said Planning Director Tom Micuda during a presentation of the Plan Commission's findings. Both the Plan Commission and the Common Council voted in previous weeks to recommend an amendment to the zoning designations for this specific project.\nThe Council made it official Wednesday, voting 9-0 in favor of the ordinance.\nDave Rollo, vice-president of the Council, said part of the reason he was in favor of the ordinance was that the development plans showed a "significant effort to soften the impact of this facility." He said 50 percent of the site will be open, undisturbed space.\nThe area, 2520 N. Dunn Street, will also be home to a two-building expansion of Meadowood Retirement Community. Members of the Council said the location was necessary for Jill's House because of the close proximity to the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute. Meadowood needed the location so it could be close to its existing establishment.\n"I enjoyed hearing about this, and I think it will be an exceptional facility," Rollo said.\nCouncil members said they considered the environmental concerns but ultimately felt the community needed Jill's House and the expansion of Meadowood, which would also benefit the community.\n"If there was a dispute here, it wasn't about the worthiness of Jill's House or the worthiness of Meadowood," Councilman Stephen Volan said.\nJill's House is being built in honor of Jill Behrman, an IU student abducted and murdered in 2000. The trial of her suspected killer, John R. Myers II, began Monday in Martinsville.\n"As we sit and read the newspaper, Eric and Marilyn (Behrman) are in Martinsville," Councilman David Sabbagh said. "(As we) sit through this trial about this terrible thing that happened to their daughter Jill, let this be a symbol of hope for people, perhaps Jill's age, who are being treated at MPRI and can be cured."\nCouncilman Tim Mayer agreed.\n"This will probably serve as a living memory for Jill," Mayer said. "And that, I think, is so very important"