Thursday, October 23, 2008

Agenda for September 23, 2008

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association
Meeting Agenda
Sept. 23, 2008
Free Methodist Church
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.


Call to Order, Introductions and sign up sheet

Old Business

1. Urban Dog Park update
2. 4-way stop sign at Allen Street and Henderson
3. Conservation neighborhood research update

New Business

Energy Efficiently talk
Jim Gonquest Variance request

Granny Flats

3. Ways to improve our neighborhood????Strengths/weaknesses, goals, needs?


Adjournment

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

City Council Member Piedmont to Host Constituent Meeting


District 5 City Council member Isabel Piedmont holds a constituent meeting on the last Saturday of each month, from 10:00 to11:00 am, at Rachael’s Café, 300 E. 3rd St. The purpose is to provide an update on city issues and a forum for constituent concerns.


Piedmont encourages all Bloomington residents, not just those in District 5, to join her for this Saturday meeting. Free coffee will be available courtesy of Piedmont, and Rachael’s Café serves breakfast for those interested in combining a meal with the meeting. More information about Piedmont is available on her website, www.PiedmontForCouncil.org.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

This Week on The Friday Zone… A Day at the Park (Bryan Park)

October 10th, 2008


The community of Bloomington, Indiana has an outdoor community resource in the form of Bryan Park. If you have not visited Bryan Park before, here is your big chance! Katie and three young friends named Miranda, Garrick, and Noah spent a day playing on the playgrounds, engaged in a lesson with a tennis professional, and splashing around the Bryan Park Pool.


This episode (shot mostly at the park) will air Friday, Oct 10 from 4:30PM - 5:00PM and again Saturday morning, Oct 11 at 10:00AM.


The Friday Zone is a multiple Emmy award-winning children’s series. It airs weekly on two PBS stations in Indiana, WTIU and WFYI. It is produced by WTIU and has been on the air since 1999.


THE FRIDAY ZONE serves children who are between the ages of 7 – 12 years old, as well as their parents. THE FRIDAY ZONE mission is to challenge children to explore, investigate and experience the world around them.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Books for Kids

Hi Neighbors,

I thought you wouldn't mind getting this message as it is a great cause and a good reason to clean off the shelves to make room for new books.

Jan

Dear Bryan Park Residents,

I'm attempting to collect donated used books for the Templeton School Library.

The wish list of the librarian is as follows.
a)Scary Stories
b)Garfield
c)Peanuts
d)Calvin & Hobbes
e)Pokemon
f)Goosebumps

I'm sure most books in good condition appropriate for kids between the ages of 4 and 12 could be useful to her at the library.
Would you consider donating to this end? If so you may contact me via phone/email and I will come and pick them up and deliver them to the library. Also, if you would like you can drop them off at my house.

Thank you for your time and for your consideration of this request.
My phone#s are 333-2772 (our store- you can leave message also) and 339-9496. email address: traveler@bluemarble.net

Marcus Moir

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Agenda for September 23, 2008

Dear Neighbors,

This is a reminder that our monthly meeting will be held TUESDAY, September 23ed at the Free Methodist Church, corner of Lincoln & Grimes at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to submit topics to be considered for the agenda, please email me at jansorby@sbcglobal.net

See you Tuesday at our meeting,
Jan Sorby
Vice President
Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Annual block party - Friday, 8/22

Everybody loves a party! The annual BPNA summer block party is scheduled for August 22, 6-9 pm.

Craig Brenner and the Crawdads will once again inspire dancing in the street—specifically the 1000 block of South Dunn St. Please bring a potluck dish to share with your neighbors. BPNA will provide grilled meat and veggie burgers and hot dogs as well as lemonade. Come meet new neighbors and celebrate with old friends.

We need your membership dues to fund food purchases. We’re down on our knees here. Dues are just $5 a year, and a handy mail-in form is provided on this page. In the past, BPNA has received a Small & Simple grant from the city to help with the cost of this large party, which drew about 200 people last year. We hope to receive another grant this year. Keep your fingers crossed!

We can always use extra hands; contact Jon Lawrence at jolawren@indiana.edu or 334-2075.

Association News - Summer 2008

BPNA blogs. This spring, BPNA launched a blog to replace its former web site. Check it out at www.bryanpark.blogspot.com. You’ll find news, announcements, updates on city plans for the neighborhood, even a sideshow of pictures taken at BPNA events. Want to publicize your garage sale? There is a section (called “Label” in blog-speak) just for that.

There were two main reasons for the change. First, the blog form is easy to keep up-to-date and organized. It supplements this newsletter, which will continue to be printed three times a year. More importantly, it gives everyone a chance to comment on and discuss issues important to the neighborhood. We can even gather input on controversial issues by posting a survey question for people to vote on online.

Isabel Piedmont, the representative for our district on the City Council, says that she reads the Bryan Park blog regularly to see what people are thinking about, so by adding your comments, you help get things done. Piedmont also posts notices of her monthly constituent meetings on the blog. Put your hands together for our responsive representative!

The blog is easy to use. Type the address, www.bryanpark.blogspot.com, into your browser and the most recently posted item shows up first, with older items in the same category appearing in reverse chronological order below it. To comment on an item, click on the comments link in the green bar beneath the item. Type your comment into the box that appears. Then type the letters that make up the Verification code into the next box (this prevents scammers from automatically posting Viagra ads to the site). Lastly, choose how you want to sign your comment. Tip: the “Anonymous” option does not require you to set up a password. Click Publish to post your comment or Preview to, umm, preview it.

If you want an item posted or need help with using the blog, contact the webmaster, Sarah Reeder, smreeder@gmail.com. Mary Miller and Sarah Reeder led the effort to design and build the blog; Anne Hedin, Jim Gronquist, and Jon Lawrence assisted.

Election results are in. Jan Sorby beat out Barack Obama and John McCain. Just kidding, but Jan was again elected BPNA president. Congratulations to the three new officers: Vice President Scott O’Brien, Treasurer Mary Lou Mitchell, and Secretary Lillie Aydt. Heartfelt thanks to the outgoing officers, former VP Jeanette Richart and former Treasurer Jennie Bauer for three and eight years of service respectively.

Source: BPNA Newsletter, June 2008

From grocery to church to an unknown future

by Mary Lou Mitchell

On February 12th a prospective developer of the former church building at 1014 South Washington Street invited Bryan Park neighbors to a meeting that the developer convened at Templeton. The developer’s courtesy was greatly appreciated and there was much discussion on the use of the building. Although it is zoned for commercial use, it could also be developed as residential property, which most of the surrounding neighbors would prefer. They also said they wouldn’t object to child or adult day care, a gallery, or some similar low-traffic use. We all hope there will be an agreeable solution for this property.

This property has been zoned commercial since 1929-1930, when the R C McKinley grocery was built on the lot. Sometime between 1930 and 1938 it became the A V Kirk Grocery. August V Kirk had previously been an accountant at the Matthews Brothers Stone Mill on South Walnut Street. He owned the store until 1950 when he sold it to John Zark. Mr. Zark vacated it in 1952. It stayed vacant until 1956 when the Church of Christ fellowship, the current owners, bought it.

A V Kirk and his wife, Anna, lived in the neighborhood themselves until Anna died in 1981 and A V died in 1992 at the age of 96. As a small boy, my husband Dick Mitchell and some buddies did odd jobs at the grocery. A V always threw the crates his vegetables came in down the basement steps, then every so often, he would hire the boys to bust them up. Dick says there was always water (from the creek) and rats (also from the creek) in the basement. A V also took the boys on deliveries. Their pay? 10 or 15 cents – enough to buy a candy bar and a bottle of pop.

Tot Lot officially opens

If you have been in Bryan Park lately, you have doubtless noticed the new Tot Lot playground in the northwest corner of the park. Maybe you noticed a child in a spinning cup, or manipulating the backhoe diggers, getting a push on the swing, or climbing on the play house. But if you were there on Tuesday morning, June 10, you would have also seen Mayor Mark Kruzan, District 5 City Council Member Isabel Piedmont, and BPNA president Jan Sorby.

At the formal opening ceremony of this playground, designed for children ages 5 and under, Mayor Kruzan said that the city spent $135,000 on the equipment, which includes rubber safety surfacing, new fencing, a shaded seating area with tables, benches, and drinking fountain in addition to numerous pieces of play equipment. The entrance to the area is through a gate designed by local artist Joe LaMantia and produced in partnership with Stone Belt. The Parks and Recreation Department handled the installation.

The neighborhood’s city council representative, Isabel Piedmont, spoke of the positive impact that parks like this have on the imagination and physical development of children. On behalf of the neighborhood, Jan Sorby thanked the City and Parks and Rec for enhancing “the jewel in our crown,” Bryan Park.

“We want to thank the City also for including the ideas and desires of the adjacent neighborhoods into the planning process. As parents are challenged with rising rates of obesity, diabetes and other health issues among our children, this park offers space for children to start the healthy habit of exercise and play,” Sorby said.

“We are fortunate that our Bloomington parks are more than just a little country in the city; they provide a multitude of benefits for a variety of uses. The Bryan Park neighbors appreciate the hard work that goes in to balancing passive and active natural and constructed areas of the park. We know much thought and consideration went into choosing each piece of equipment on this playground.”

Source: BPNA Newsletter, June 2008

Crosswalk to improve pedestrian safety


The Traffic Commission supported the BPNA’s request for a multi-way stop and a pedestrian striped crosswalk at the intersection of Allen and Henderson Streets to safeguard pedestrians crossing Henderson into Bryan Park or onto the sidewalk. As part of their process, they sent City engineer Justin Wyckoff to examine the situation and make a recommendation.

BPNA’s president Jan Sorby says, “Henderson has a posted 20 mph speed limit. Justin Wykoff did a traffic study at the intersection which showed that only 3% of drivers observed the limit. He clocked cars passing this school/park zone at speeds as high as 57 mph. The Traffic Commission was so shocked at the horrendous speeds they requested Justin to come up with something different than just a stop sign.”

The drawing above shows the solution to slowing traffic on this stretch of Henderson. It adds an island dividing the lanes of traffic and providing a protected space midway where pedestrians can stand if on-coming traffic prevents them from completing the crossing. (Parents with children have been known to drive three blocks to the park rather than attempt crossing on foot with a toddler and a stroller, Sorby points out.)



On either side of the cross walk at midpoint is a planter for vegetation, which neighbors have promised to tend. The strategy is to make the space look and feel narrower to drivers so that they drive more carefully.

This drawing also shows the realignment of the Bryan Park parking lot entrance with Allen St. and the new sidewalk on the western side of Henderson, a future improvement. Currently the only sidewalk on this stretch of Henderson borders Bryan Park and continues south to Templeton Elementary School. Crossing Henderson is particularly dangerous during the peak hours when children need to walk to school.

Missing from this drawing are the stop signs to be added on the approaches to the crosswalk. In order to implement what the Traffic Commission has approved, there is a formality to satisfy. City ordinance requires a certain level of traffic to warrant putting a stop sign on a street. Traffic on Henderson exceeds that level, but traffic on Allen and out of the parking lot normally falls below that level.

As a result, District 5 City Council Member Isabel Piedmont is expected to introduce the multi-way stop request as an amendment to the ordinance when City Council meets on June 25 or July 2, as the schedule permits. City Council will vote on it at the next meeting. Bryan Park neighbors and other city residents will have an opportunity to provide input on the request at the first meeting.

Source: BPNA Newsletter, June 2008

Dogs need a best friend too

On May 9, the Dog Friendly Bloomington (DFB) group sent a letter to Councilman Andy Ruff concerning the long-standing proposal to establish an off-leash dog park accessible to dog walkers within eight Bloomington core neighborhoods. DFB was founded by BPNA neighbors Marian M. Conaty and Paul Styles two and a half years ago.

The preferred site for the dog park is on the grounds of the Carlisle Brake Plant, located diagonally across from the southeast corner of Bryan Park. Doug de Vallance, President of Operations at Carlisle, has given his approval for this use of land behind the factory. DFB envisions an enclosed, locked dog run which owners of registered dogs can access without charge.

DFB considers this a win-win solution for all parties. Having a safe, clean place for dogs to run and socialize obviously benefits the animals and their owners. It would also reduce the burden on Bryan Park, which is heavily used now and will be more so as population density increases in the area. (South Dunn St. provides one example.)

“We believe this is a wonderful opportunity to bridge two seemingly incompatible land uses for the benefit of the community,” the DFB letter to Councilman Ruff states. “Essentially, the proposed dog park would create a community-serving buffer between industrial activity and residential use. This partnership between city, industry and neighborhood would take what some view as a negative, a sprawling factory within a core neighborhood, and turn it into a positive for the entire city.”

Independently of the DFB group, an Elm Heights resident, Ron Fischman, wrote Mick Renneisen, the head of Parks and Recreation, urging the city to consider this proposal –
and other possible uses. “To my mind, the most important aspect of the proposal is the opportunity to increase the area of a core city park. The clear trend in Bloomington and the rest of the Midwest is for old factories like Carlisle to minimize new investment in their urban manufacturing facilities and eventually sell the land for its development value,” Fischman states.

Dilemma for responsible dog owners

Nature designed dogs as pack animals and hunters. They need to run and socialize with each other for their mental and physical health. DFB cites research showing that 82% of dogs returned to the Animal Shelter are returned because they show signs of aggression. The major cause for this is lack of appropriate exercise and socialization.

Currently, local dog owners have two bad options for caring for their dogs’ needs. Some owners wait until the park empties out at the end of the day and let their dogs off the leash. This is illegal. Violators can be fined; upon a second offense, the dog can be impounded for neutering. DFB knows that even well-trained dogs running free can make other park users feel uncomfortable, and would prefer a better alternative.

The available alternative is to patronize the city’s only existing dog park at Karst Farm. The DFB objects that it is “environmentally irresponsible” to drive to Karst Farms (10 miles round-trip) when a nearby location is readily available. “In the 750 (+) households of the Bryan Park neighborhood alone, national averages say that approximately 285 of our households have at least 1 dog. Just 1 trip per week to Karst Farms equals over 150,000 miles of driving per year and creates 52 tons of CO2 gas emissions,” the DFB letter states.

Bryan Park, Elm Heights, McDoel Gardens, Eastside, SoMax, Arden Place, Walnut Creek and Pinestone are all neighborhoods whose resident dog owners could walk to the proposed Carlisle site. Its location adjacent to Bryan Park would simplify servicing this site as well.

DFB members wish to be humane responsible dog owners and environmentally good stewards,” they assured Councilman Ruff. To further this conversation with others in the community, DFB has also set up a Google group site at “Dog Friendly Bloomington”, http://groups.google.com/group/dogfriendlybloomington

Source: BPNA Newsletter, June 2008

Inside the “poop bag party”


Fourteen BPNA neighbors met at the home of BPNA president Jan Sorby on June 10 to build custom-designed PVC dispensers of bags for dog waste. These will replace the home-made containers that Liz Brown had previously fashioned from milk jugs and stocked with bags, a contribution greatly appreciated by the majority of her neighbors whose yards are cleaner as a result.

As Dick Mitchell, Jon Lawrence, Jim Gronquist, and Matt Reeder cut and fitted the PVC, atrick Siney spray-painted the containers with a stenciled paw-print pattern from Sorby Design Studio. An assembly line of volunteers assisted in putting the dispensers together, and Corinne Carpenter and Tonia Matthews stuffed them with the first set of bags. Liz Brown will see to the installation of the spiffy new containers on street signposts, as approved by the Bloomington Utility Board.

BPNA invites everybody in the neighborhood to feel free to restock the nearby dispensers with plastic grocery bags. It gets them out of your way and keeps them out of the landfill.

A Small & Simple grant from the city funded the purchase of supplies, and volunteers supplied the matching labor value. BPNA is grateful to the city, and especially to City Councilman Tim Mayer, for getting behind this grassroots initiative for a cleaner neighborhood. It is truly an example of the BPNA motto, “You don’t need to move to live in a better neighborhood.”

Source: BPNA Newsletter, June 2008

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Agenda for July 2008

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Meeting Agenda

July 24, 2008

Free Methodist Church

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Call to Order, Introductions and sign up sheet

Old Business

1. Urban tree program (with SPEA) update?: Steve Forrest

2. Update on rental house at 805 S. Hillside Drive: Scott O’Bryan

3. Urban Dog Park update

New Business

1. Neighborhood annual fall picnic: Jon Lawrence

2. Davis Street garden

3. Ways to improve our neighborhood????
Strengths/weaknesses, goals, needs?

Adjournment

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

What do you want Walnut St. to look like?

The City of Bloomington is gathering input to be used for designing the "streetscape" along Walnut St. between Fisrst and Third Streets. Isn't it great that they Asked?! You can take a quick survey by clicking on the title of this post or pointing your browser to www.bloomington.in.gov/walnutsurvey.

Friday, June 13, 2008

If you have suffered flood damage...

Monroe County city, town and county residents can call and report flood damage to the county emergency management agency until 4 p.m. Friday, June 20.

Call 349-2533 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Monroe County residents are also encouraged to report damage directly to FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or 800-462-7585 for the speech and hearing impaired.

Reporting can be done online at www.fema.gov.

When contacting FEMA, have the following information available, as stated on the agency’s Web site:
• Current phone number
• Address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
• Social Security number, if available
• A general list of damages and losses you suffered
• If insured, the name of your company or agent and your policy number
• General financial information
• Bank account coding

In addition, if you have had flood water inside your home, the agency recommends the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for infomation on how to prevent health hazards due to mold. Go to www.epa.gov/mold or call (800) 438-4318.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Hearing - Rental property at 805 E. Hillside Dr

This is a reminder about the up-coming hearing for a variance to allow 2 rentals on 1 property in our neighborhood. I have included a brief summary of the details. It is an extremely bad idea to allow 2 rentals on 1 property and if this is allowed at one location in our neighborhood, it could open the flood gates for the rest of our neighborhood. This case is third on the tentative agenda.

There will be a follow-up meeting with the Plan Commission on June 26. Scott (our new VP) will be sending out a reminder notice, but do mark your calendars. We need to have a presence at the meetings to ensure the desires of the neighborhood are represented. I will NOT be able to attend the Plan Commission meeting!!!

Jan Sorby
President
Bryan Park Neighborhood

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
June 26, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
UV-19-08 Tim Treahy 805 E. Hillside Dr.Request: Use variance to allow 2-units on a single-family lot.
Jan’s summary:
Rental House at 805 Hillside seeks support for 2 rentals on 1 property: Timothy Treahy (an out of town landlord) is requesting a variance from the City to allow 2 rentals on 1 property. Mr. Treahy owns multiple rentals in Bloomington. This single-family bungalow with detached garage apartment was purchased in 2005 for $124,000. Mr. Treahy was told by the seller that both the house and garage apartment had valid permits. He did not check with the city. He is now saying it is a hardship to not have the double income from this property. This property is now assessed at $198,200. He has suggested that if he does not get the variance he will break the property into two separate lots. However this would create a “land locked” parcel of land which is against code.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

City Council Member Piedmont to Host Constituent Meeting Saturday

District 5 City Council member Isabel Piedmont will hold her monthly constituent meeting on Saturday, May 31, 10:00-11:00 am at Rachael’s Café, 300 E. 3rd St. Her goals are to provide an update on city issues and a forum for constituent concerns. Rachael’s Café is a locally owned business, located at the corner of 3rd St. and Lincoln St.

“During our May meeting, I will review recent Council actions including the approval of a new ordinance regulating trees in the public domain,” said Piedmont. “I will also discuss the city’s construction of the B-Line trail and future plans for the Griffy Lake area.”

Piedmont encourages all Bloomington residents, not just those in District 5, to join her for this Saturday meeting. Free coffee will be available courtesy of Piedmont, and Rachael’s Café serves breakfast for those interested in combining a meal with the meeting.

Piedmont hosts constituent meetings at Rachael’s Café on the last Saturday of every month, 10-11 am. More information about Councilmember Piedmont is available on her website, www.PiedmontForCouncil.org.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Agenda for May 2008

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Meeting Agenda

May 20, 2008

Free Methodist Church

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Call to Order, Introductions and sign up sheet
Old Business
1. Urban tree program (with SPEA) update?: Steve Forrest
2. Get approval of decal for dog dispensers: Set date for construction party
3. Urban Dog Park update: Sarah Reeder/Jon Lawrence and any other people from “Dog Friendly
Bloomington"

4. Blooming’ Neighborhoods, June 7th: sign up sheet for 2 people each for ½ hour periods. (You can do more than 1 period!)

New Business
  1. Rental House at 805 Hillside seeks support for 2 rentals on 1 property: Bob Laggard representing out of town owner, Timothy Treaty. Pat Shay representing the City of Bloomington’s position against the variance.

    Timothy Treahy is requesting a variance from the City to allow 2 rentals on 1 property. Mr. Treahy owns multiple rentals in Bloomington. The property manager asked to be put on the agenda per Mr. Treahy’s request. The single-family bungalow with detached garage apartment was purchased in 2005 for $124,000. He was told by the seller that both the house and garage apartment had valid permits. He did not check with the city. He is saying it is a hardship to not have the double income from this property. This property is now assessed at $198,200. He has suggested that if he does not get the variance he will break the property into two separate lots. The City will not allow this single lot to be re-platted to two lots.
  2. Restoration Project Planning: How to Identify and Prioritize what Needs Attention,

    May 31, 10-11:30. Call Steve Wyatt at Bloomington Restorations, Inc. 336-0909
    Instructor: Duncan Campbell, Interim Director, Center for Historic Preservation, College of Architecture, Ball State University
    Cost $14 (in city) $16 (out of town)
  3. Ways to improve our neighborhood???? Strengths/weaknesses, goals, needs?


    Adjournment

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Proposed pedestrian crossing at Henderson and Allen Streets

Hi Neighbors,

I am including a drawing of the proposed pedestrian crossing at Henderson and Allen Streets. I need to gather feedback to submit to Justin Wyckoff by next week, May 6th. The more in-put we gather is better. This pedestrian crossing will be installed when Parks and Recreation re-aligns Bryan Park parking lot entrance with Allen Street, hopefully this spring. We hope to see the crossing with vegetation, which neighbors have said they will tend.

The idea is to give pedestrians a safe crossing to the park and sidewalks. The Traffic Commission supported our request for a pedestrian crossing with a stop sign, but also wanted to slow traffic on Henderson. Justin Wyckoff did a traffic study at the intersection which showed speeds as high as 57 MPH in this school/park zone. The Traffic Commission was so shocked at the horrendous speeds they requested Justin to come up with something different than just a stop sign. The drawing below is the results.

Jan
President
Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Pedestrian crossing proposal: comments wanted



Hi Neighbors,

I am including a drawing of the proposed pedestrian crossing at Henderson and Allen Streets. I need to gather feedback to submit to Justin Wyckoff by next week, May 6th. The more in-put we gather is better. This pedestrian crossing will be installed when Parks and Recreation re-aligns Bryan Park parking lot entrance with Allen Street, hopefully this spring. We hope to see the crossing with vegetation, which neighbors have said they will tend.

The idea is to give pedestrians a safe crossing to the park and sidewalks. The Traffic Commission supported our request for a pedestrian crossing with a stop sign, but also wanted to slow traffic on Henderson. Justin Wyckoff did a traffic study at the intersection which showed speeds as high as 57 MPH in this school/park zone. The Traffic Commission was so shocked at the horrendous speeds they requested Justin to come up with something different than just a stop sign. The drawing above is the results.

Jan Sorby

President

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association



Thursday, April 24, 2008

City Council Member Piedmont to Host Constituent Meeting

District 5 City Council member Isabel Piedmont will hold a constituent meeting on Saturday, April 26, 10:00-11:00 am at Rachael’s Café, 300 E. 3rd St. This is the third in a series of meetings which take place the last Saturday of each month with the purpose of providing an update on city issues and a forum for constituent concerns. Unfortunately, the McDoel Market & Deli, the site of the first two meetings, has closed. Rachael’s Café is another locally owned business, located at the corner of 3rd St. and Lincoln St.

“During our April meeting, I will review recent Council actions including the approval of changes to part of the Woolery Farm development and the creation of the Prospect Hill Conservation District,” said Piedmont. “I will also discuss the city’s progress toward meeting its environmental goals since we are celebrating Earth Day this week.”

Piedmont encourages all Bloomington residents, not just those in District 5, to join her for this Saturday meeting. Free coffee will be available courtesy of Piedmont, and Rachael’s Café serves breakfast for those interested in combining a meal with the meeting. More information about Piedmont is available on her website, www.PiedmontForCouncil.org.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Agenda for April 2008

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Meeting Agenda

April 21, 2008

Free Methodist Church

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Call to Order, Introductions and sign up sheet

Old Business

1. Urban tree program (with SPEA) report: Steve Forrest

2. Update on multi-way stop on Henderson: Jan Sorby

3. Set date for poop-bag dispenser party: Set date for construction party

4. BPNA Elections in 2nd quarter:

5. Urban Dog Park: Sarah Reeder

New Business

  1. Ways to improve our neighborhood????
    Strengths/weaknesses, goals, needs?

Adjournment

Monday, April 14, 2008

Bulky trash drop-off day

Hi,
We thought you might want to know about this!
Jan Sorby
President,
Bryan Park Neighborhood Association
Bulky trash drop-off day is set for April 14
H-T ReportApril 2, 2007

The Monroe County Solid Waste Management District’s spring bulky item drop-off day is set for April 14.
Unusable furniture, appliances and other items can be brought to recycling and solid waste stations from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and to the Hoosier Disposal Transfer Station from 9 a.m. to noon.
Orange bags are not needed for bulky items. There will be no charge for bulky items, except for appliances containing Freon and tires.
All Freon-containing appliances must be tagged with a sticker purchased in advance from the district.
Passenger car and light truck tires will be accepted at the Hoosier Disposal Transfer Station only.
Acceptable items include bathtubs, couches, furniture, carpeting or flooring and building materials. Unacceptable items include paint cans, computers or monitors, televisions or roofing materials. For details, call 349-2020 or see www. mcswmd.org.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

BPNA Letter to Traffic Commission Regarding Multi-Way Stop on Henderson

525 E. Grimes Lane, Bloomington, IN 47401. 812-334-2075

February 14, 2008


The Bryan Park Neighborhood Association (BPNA) is requesting a multi-way stop and a pedestrian stripped crosswalk at the intersection of Allen Street and Henderson Street, located on the west edge of Bryan Park.

One of our neighborhood’s best assets is Bryan Park, yet at this time there is no safe means for residents to cross Henderson to access the park or to simply use the sidewalks located on the east side of Henderson. Currently east/west bound pedestrian crossings are scatted among the four streets dead ending into Bryan Park. If a safe multi-way stop and crossing walk is built pedestrians will gravitate to this area producing predictable patterns for all. Vehicular traffic is extremely heavy on Henderson. Crossing Henderson is particularly dangerous during the peak hours when children need to walk to school and many desire to make use of the park. Countless pedestrians use the paths through the park to go to IU, Templeton Elementary and Bloomington South. The beautiful riparian path along Bryan stream is popular with seniors and dog walkers.

For many years the BPNA, parents and neighbors have sought a safe means to cross Henderson from the west entering Bryan Park or simply to use the sidewalk. The BPNA neighbors are excited about the proposed sidewalk on the west side of Henderson Street and making Allen Street an east/west multimodal corridor. This is a start to remediate decades of neglected infrastructure concerns in our neighborhood. Little attention has been given to the needs the 750+ households in the Bryan Park area. With access to only four streets that have sidewalks and controlled storm water systems (Washington, Lincoln, parts of Grimes and parts of Henderson) we have a unique opportunity to locate improvements at the most optimal place for all.

We are pleased that the Bryan Park parking lot and Allen Street will soon be realigned as this will create safer traffic patterns for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. Allen Street is centrally located north and south along the west edge of the park. Other developments that make BPNA eager to establish a safe multi-way crossing at this time are: the current redevelopment of the children’s playground in Bryan Park at Allen Street, Safe Routes to School initiative, and the Greenways trail. We strongly feel this is the time to create a safe multi-way stop with pedestrian crosswalk on Henderson. A safe multi-way stop with a cross walk is an amenity that will carefully channel pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic. Additionally, it will also allow neighbors to safely reach our best asset, Bryan Park and use the sidewalk.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Jan Sorby
President,
Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Second Piedmont Constituent Meeting

City Council Member Piedmont to Host Constituent Meeting

District 5 City Council member Isabel Piedmont will hold a constituent meeting on Saturday, March 29, 9:30-10:30 am at the McDoel Market and Deli. This is the second in a series of meetings which take place the last Saturday of each month with the purpose of providing an update on city issues and a forum for constituent concerns. The McDoel Grocery is located at the corner of Rogers St. and W. Patterson Dr. in city council District 5.

“This month I will review recent issues before the Council including changes to the Sustainability Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women, as well as a resolution opposing logging in the back-country area of state forests,” said Piedmont. “I will also discuss the city’s participation in EarthHour 2008.” EarthHour is a world-wide event during which people around the globe will turn off their lights for one hour at 8 pm local time on Saturday, March 29. The city is encouraging participation as part of its efforts to reduce global warming and bring attention to the problem of global climate change.

Piedmont encourages all Bloomington residents, not just those in District 5, to join her for this Saturday meeting. Free coffee will be available courtesy of Piedmont, and the McDoel Deli serves breakfast for those interested in combining a meal with the meeting. More information about Piedmont is available on her website, www.PiedmontForCouncil.org.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Agenda for March, 2008

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Meeting Agenda

March 25, 2008

Free Methodist Church

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Call to Order, Introductions and sign up sheet

Old Business

1. Urban tree program (with SPEA) report: The Bryant Park Urban Forestry Team

2. Update on multi-way stop on Henderson: Jan Sorby

3. Set date for poop-bag dispenser party: general discussion and volunteers

4. Reuse of Church on Washington? Ideas and thoughts: General discussion

5. BPNA Elections in 2nd quarter: Form slate, election April 22nd

6. Neighborhood-wide Yard Sale Update: Judy Sylvester

7. NEW Neighborhood Blog: Anne Hedin, Mary Miller and Sarah Reeder

a. Hand out instructions

b. Ways to let people know

8. Davis Street garden. General discussion

9. Ria’s plant exchange? General discussion

New Business

  1. 4th of July parade, does anyone what to do it?

  2. Ways to improve our neighborhood????
    Strengths/weaknesses, goals, needs?

Adjournment

Friday, March 7, 2008

Want to Swap?

Is anyone interested in adding establish a Swap category on this blog, where neighbors can notify each other of things they want to give away? Peonies. puppies, furniture, whatever....

Proposed ground rules (based on those established by FreeCycle in the Bloomington and Bedford area, which is very well run):
  • Exclude sales of any type (that's what the Garage Sale tag is for)
  • Responses to Offers or Requests need to go privately. Don't include email addresses in the post.
  • Those giving things away need to state when they have been taken.
What do you think? You can say yea or nay or suggest different rules of engagement by clicking on the Comment link below and leaving your comment.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

BPNA Meeting and Blog Demo, 2/26/08

This is a reminder that our monthly meeting will be held TUESDAY, February 26th at the Free Methodist Church, corner of Lincoln & Grimes at 7:00 p.m. NOTE: we will meet in a different room so we can demonstrate the NEW blog on the internet. There will be a sign on the door to direct you. As always I'd like to start on time and keep the meeting to no more than 1 hour.

If you would like to submit topics to be considered for the agenda, please email me at jansorby@sbcglobal.net.

See you Tuesday,
Jan Sorby
Vice President Bryan Park Neighborhood Association


Bryan Park Neighborhood Association
Meeting Agenda
February 26, 2008
Free Methodist Church
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Call to Order, Introductions and sign up sheet

Old Business
  1. CONA report – Jon Lawrence
    • Small and Simple Grant
    • Update on dog bag dispensers – Liz Brown/Jon Lawrence (show prototype)
    • Sign up to help construct
    • Neighborhood signage for meeting – Jan Sorby
  2. Sidewalk Update – Jan Sorby / Jane Walters
    • BPNA sent formal request to Traffic Commission for multi-way stop with walkway at Allen and Henderson – Hearing Wednesday Feb. 27th at 5:30 City Council Chambers
  3. Reuse of Church on Washington?
    • Update on Washington Street Church meeting with developers
  4. BPNA Elections in 2nd quarter

New Business
  1. Introduction and Demo of NEW Neighborhood Blog!!!!! -Sarah Reeder, Mary Miller and Anne Hedin
  2. Ways to improve our neighborhood???? Adjournment

Friday, February 15, 2008

Dog Leash Laws in Bryan Park

This article was published in the Herald Times Hotline column yesterday (2/14/08). Be aware that dogs are required to be on leash at all times. The article follows:


Dogs gone wild vs. the leash and collar set

QUESTION: Our family has a complaint. For several years, there seems to have been an unwritten relaxing of the leash requirement for dogs at Bryan Park. When we try to walk our dog, the loose dogs often charge at our dog (sometimes in aggression, sometimes because they want to play), making it very difficult to control our dog. The dog owners often act as if their unrestrained pets are a completely normal situation, and we’re the crankpots. Recently we counted 13 dogs running loose. The situation has gotten so bad that our kids can’t safely walk the dog. How can we get the leash ordinance enforced at Bryan Park?

K.C., Bloomington

ANSWER: Hotline contacted Mick Renneisen, director of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, and Laurie Ringquist, Bloomington Animal Care and Control officer. The city has posted signs reminding park visitors that dogs are required to be on a leash, and animal control officers patrol the park at random times, issuing warnings and tickets as appropriate.

Ringquist said if you see an unleashed dog, call Animal Control at 349-3492 and “we will do our best to get there as soon as possible.” Often, by the time an officer arrives, the animal is leashed or gone. But if there seems to be a pattern as to days or times, please report it to Animal Control so the park can be patrolled more frequently at those times.

Friday, February 8, 2008

2008 Officers

PresidentJan Sorby
Vice PresidentScott O'Bryan
TreasurerLillie Aydt
SecretaryMary Lou Mitchell
CONA RepresentativesEve Corrigan, Jon Lawrence