The Green Acres neighborhood is one step closer to becoming a historic district after Bloomington City Council heard a first reading of an ordinance that would establish the Green Acres Conservation District in its meeting Wednesday. The council voted 8-0 to move forward with a second reading of the ordinance Oct. 1. At the second reading, councilmembers may then vote to pass the ordinance.
The proposed district lies between Union Street and SR-46, just south of Tenth Street with Third Street marking its southern boundary.
Indiana law allows for the establishment of historic districts in two steps. The area is first designated a conservation district, which is offered fewer protections than a historic district, and then automatically elevated to historic district after three years if there is no objection from the majority of property owners in the district. The proposed Ordinance 2024-18 would begin the three-year conservation period for Green Acres.
The council also heard a report from councilmember Kate Rosenbarger on the Safe Streets for All initiative. Rosenbarger said its committee has wrapped up project planning meetings and has moved on to a new phase of planning.
Safe Streets and Roads for All is a U.S. Department of Transportation grant program that supports the Federal Highway Administration’s goal to eliminate roadway deaths. Rosenbarger said current efforts to increase safety include speed limit reduction below 30 miles per hour, adding “no turn on red” signs to intersections and increasing the intervals between pedestrian walk signs and green lights. She also said records of crashes involving bikes and scooters need to be kept to facilitate research.
An ordinance appropriating funds for debris removal from a storm that passed through Bloomington on July 25 passed 7-1. The funds will enable the city’s public works department to pay private contractors who were hired when the department was overwhelmed by calls during the storm.
The council heard the second reading of an ordinance which would allocate funds to the city’s public works department for a facilities asset and operations coordinator salary — but opted to delay a decision until its meeting on Oct. 1 despite spending nearly an hour discussing the issue. The council approved this new full-time position earlier in the year, but the individual continued to be paid out of a line dedicated to temporary employee pay, which the department now seeks to replenish in addition to seeking funds to pay the employee for the rest of the year.
The Bloomington City Council will meet next Sept. 25. The following meeting will take place Oct. 1, rather than Oct. 2, in observance of Rosh Hashanah.
