Your Voice, Your Land Use
The following is a note from County Councilwoman Julie Thomas, who is the Council’s appointee to the Monroe County Plan Commission. I was on the Plan Commission for three years, two of which were spent working on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update. My hope is that our Plan Commissioners will approve sending the document they have diligently crafted through an extensive public process, to the County Commissioners for approval. Interestingly, this Land Use Plan has reached this point in time in synchronicity with the City of Bloomington’s Peak Oil Task Force report nearing the presentation to the City Council stage…here is Councilor Thomas’ important message about county land use and planning:
As you all know by now, the Monroe County Plan Commission (PC) is in the process of completing the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. This is a policy which, once approved, will guide the creation of the next generation of zoning ordinances. The proposed plan will limit future development to those areas that are already developed - it will keep
rural areas rural and make urban areas urban. Whether or not you live in the city, whether you rent, own a small lot of property, or own a large parcel of land, this plan impacts YOU.
At last Thursday’s work session, the Plan Commission heard from 20 pro-development forces - folks who are opposed to the plan. At the previous hearing, the opponents outnumbered proponents of the plan by 10 to 1.
The opposition has been emboldened by the fact that they are the majority of the people who are attending these meetings - and they are getting their ways. The process to hear concerns about the policy has extended the hearings through January (at least) - although the vast majority of participants offered no concrete proposals to change the document. Significantly, a number of Plan Commissioners are now backpedaling on the proposed policy. How do we stop this? Show up!
Speak out!
Here’s what you can do to get involved!
1. Read the document at
http://www.co.monroe.in.us/planning/compplan.html
2. Ask questions! Attend a meeting or ask a PC member (Julie Thomas councilorthomas@gmail.com)
3. Make comments! At the website (listed above), you have the opportunity to submit general or specific comments about the draft document through e-mail or on the comment form (linked on the same
page). The more specific your comment, the better! Better yet, attend a meeting to make your comments. Again, general comments are fine, but if you have a concern, the comment should be specific.
The next Plan Commission meeting is Tuesday NOVEMBER 17, 6 PM in the Nat U Hill meeting room of the County Courthouse. And please tell your friends, family, colleagues and peers!
I’d like to reiterate that the Plan Commission members conducted a very extensive public process for sifting through the former document– publicly noticed workshops, invitations to the public, focus groups, etc. It was actually one of the more interesting projects to have been involved with while serving. A search on pin-the-tail will bring up many entries I posted concerning the subject.
Opponents and naysayers (land speculators and developers primarily) fundamentally do not like the field of planning; they are a vocal minority though. I hope you’ll get involved in shaping what the future looks like in Monroe County.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
For example, here’s an entry from 2007 that describes a meeting of the Plan Commission: Separating the wheat from the chaff.
Around that time I posted several entries about Duany Smart Code, Garden Cities, Eban Fodor’s Smart Growth, etc.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
[…] Read what plan commission member Mark Stoops had to say in today’s online chat about subdivision of property here. Or read how plan commission member Richard Martin explains portions of the plan, including subdivision of property, here. Also, Martin wrote an explanatory presentation that is horribly dense to navigate but, if read slowly enough, helped me understand some points. Still want more? Read what local blogger and former plan commission member Sophia Travis has to say about the issue here. […]
November 18th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
This is a pure land grab where the government steals our equity. The Plan Commision members are totally incompetent amatuers who don’t have a clue how to either make a living or live in a society where a day’s work gains a day’s pay. Most of this bunch are College professors or other people who can not survive in a capitalistic society. And to Julie Thomas, take your emboldened amateurism and put it to better use
November 18th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Leechworth,
Your comments are simply rude and uninformed about the individuals serving by virtue of appointments reflecting voters/constituents in Monroe County– Republican appointee Jerry Pittsford knows very well a day of work as a dedicated teacher and as someone who does work painting– all while raising a family. Other members own businesses, are public servants, etc.
They are all hard working and great people to think over important issues about our future.
Sophia Travis
November 18th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Sophia - You are the rude one calling hard working people “embolden ones”–give me a break. These people on the Plan Commision should have hired reputable consultants to accomplish this huge task. Experience, not politics and not amateurism, is necessary to make a land use plan that citizens can work with. This plan is totally unworkable and an insult to intelligent people trying to understand it. Why don’t you tell us why land owners will have 40% of their land stolen from them, why no one can work the land use formulas, why no one can figure out why a 15% slope is mandated without justification or backup, why no business owners or Chamber of Commerce members were consulted, and why these politically motivated drones tried to snick the plan through before Christmas. At least Bernie Madoff stole from rich people. And your defense of this travesty being wrough is a disgrace and embarrishment to we citizens who built both Bloomington and Monroe County to what it is today–a great place to live and hopefully to work. If you people have your say, there will be no place left to work in this charming, wonderful place.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Haha— you can’t seem to read your own blather– it was you who used the word “emboldened” in your first comment. I really don’t understand what you are talking about. As a landowner myself I am glad for the preservation of my land’s precious value the comp plan outlines.
Frankly I don’t get fixated on the math you refer to- the language is clear and understandable appropriately clear with describing broad concepts.
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Sophia
Would your property allow you to build on its current site after this plan passes. Looks like a slope over 15% next to the house and next to a stream that vulnerable land isn’t it. Now that you have yours change the plan so no-one can have what you have. Selfish isn’t it
November 24th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Sophia
Would your property allow you to build the same home you have on its current site after this plan passes. Looks like a slope over 15% next to the house and next to a stream that vulnerable land isn’t it. Now that you have yours change the plan so no-one can have what you have. Selfish isn’t it
November 26th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
County Rep,
We did not buy our home with the concept of building in mind. We bought a historic property intending to keep it pretty authentic to the bit of history it represents for Monroe County.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
furthermore the home was built in 1850. Were it not for that, this would probably be zoned for mineral extraction.