The City of Bloomington’s Comprehensive Master Plan will be revised and refreshed this summer, according to a press release from the City of Bloomington.
The updated master plan is currently being reviewed in draft form and is expected to be available for public review by mid-June, according to the release.
According to Indiana statute, CMPs must include a statement of objectives for the future development of the jurisdiction; a statement of policy for the land use development of the jurisdiction; and a statement of policy for the development of public way, places, lands, structures and utilities.
The Bloomington Common Council approved the Bloomington CMP update in January 2013, according to the release. Feedback on improving the document came quickly after the decision to renew it.
According to the City of Bloomington, the revised master plan will also include descriptions, goals and action plans for several overarching areas of community life, including community services, culture, socioeconomics, environment, the downtown area, housing, land use and transportation.
The City anticipates public access to the document by June. It will be available on the City’s website, and the public will be encouraged to read it and offer any feedback before the document is finalized.
There will be well-publicized meetings, too, to encourage public comment on the plan, according to the press release.
After this stage, the Plan Commission in Bloomington will revise the document and bring it to the Common Council for revision and approval.
“The Council relies on this document to reflect the intent of our residents,” Common Council President Andy Ruff said in the release. “The Comprehensive Master Plan is absolutely necessary for us as we make important decisions that we will all live with for many years to come.”
Bloomington’s mayor, John Hamilton, said in the release he was grateful for the Comprehensive Master Plan Steering Committee, public comment and volunteer hours that have already been put into the CMP’s revision.
“This vital road map helps chart our future, and it should reflect the essential values, hopes and desires of this community for our future,” he said.
According to the press release, allowing time needed to collect feedback and time to edit the plan, the CMP is hoped to go into the Common Council for consideration within the calendar year.
“We must now look into the next decade, decide what we want Bloomington to be and create the policies that will get us there,” Plan Commission President Jack Baker said.
Anicka Slachta
