This is the scenario Tom Micuda, the director of planning for the city, asked people to envision at the city issues forum held Tuesday night in the Monroe County Public Library.
He chose this particular cartoon character to poke fun at the common stereotype that developers are villains. It also helped to make what may seem like an overwhelmingly complicated process a bit more relatable.
Relatability was key for a meeting that was organized by the League of Women Voters of Bloomington and Monroe County for the express purpose of making local government processes more accessible and understandable.
“We’re in a municipal election, so we’ll soon be voting on the mayor and city council members,” said Kate Cruikshank, the president of the group. “I think it’s very important to understand the process that brings these types of issues, which are often very controversial, to the city council.”
The forum was the first of two presented by the league. The next one, “What does ‘Economic Development’ Mean in Bloomington?” will take place Sept. 15.
So, Micuda continued, Snidely would have to choose a property, create a development proposal and meet with city planners to discuss architecture, environmental protection, lighting, parking and drainage.
After the initial meeting, Micuda said there would be a 90-percent chance Snidely’s project would not make it any further in the development process.
If it did, Snidely would eventually attend a city development review committee meeting.
The parks department might express concerns about the proposed complex’s proximity to a walking trail. The fire department might argue there’s not enough street access. The transit department might point out that their buses won’t come to that area, so all of Snidely’s residents wouldn’t be able to get to work.
Basically, it would be difficult for Snidely to build his apartment complex.
“Development in Bloomington is always an issue that people are paying attention to,” said Steven Backs, the library’s adult audience strategist. “We thought that this event was a really good match with the library’s goal of keeping the public informed and providing civil engagement opportunities.”
