Calendar

BPNA meeting minutes, October 25th meeting

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

October 25, 2011 Minutes

The Bryan Park Neighborhood Association met at the Free Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana, on October 25, 2011. Mary Miller, BPNA president, presided over the meeting.

1. Shalom Center. Forrest Gilmore, director of the Shalom Center, made a presentation about the Center and poverty in Bloomington. He reported that Bloomington has the highest poverty rate in the state and also the highest housing costs. He also discussed the programs and services provided by the Shalom Center: day shelter, hunger relief (breakfast and lunch), employment assistance, family homelessness prevention, legal aid clinic, and visiting social services.

2. Storm Water Project Update. Mary Miller reported that the storm water project is complete and the new pipes and swales seem to be working as planned.

3. Incident Report. Dick Mitchell reported that there were 2 reports of car vandalism in the neighborhood recently.

4. Proposed project at Hillside and Henderson. Jeff Fanyo of Bynum Fanyo made a presentation concerning the proposed commercial and residential project at the corner of Hillside and Henderson Streets. He said the residential component of the project will have 30 1-bedroom apratments. The commercial component of the project will face Hillside and consist of approximately 2000 square feet of space. The plan calls for 8 angled parking spaces on Hillside and then parking off the alley for the residential units. Mr. Fanyo also explained that the owners will be asking for several variances: a use variance for the corner of Hillside and Henderson, a set-back variance (15 feet instead of 25 feet), and a variance for lot coverage. Mr. Fanyo also presented architectural drawings of the proposed development. BPNA members discussed the proposal with the architects and owners of the property and made suggestions for possible improvements. The proposal is scheduled to go before the Plan Commission in November.

5. Next meeting. The next BPNA meeting is scheduled for November 22, 2011.

Hearing tonight on Hillside/Henderson project

The initial hearing for the Hillside/Henderson project is tonight, in front of the Bloomington Plan Commission. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers in the Showers building. The project is last on the agenda, with four other petitions before it.

Everyone is welcome to come, and to address the commission with support, questions or concerns.

Thanks,

Mary

BPNA meeting minutes 9/27

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

September 27, 2011

Minutes

The Bryan Park Neighborhood Association met at the Free Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana, on September 27, 2011. Mary Miller, BPNA president, presided over the meeting.

1. Emergency Preparedness. James Stark from the Monroe County Red Cross made a presentation on emergency and disaster preparedness. Mr. Stark distributed materials from the Red Cross and highlighted that the 3 steps for preparedness are making a plan, keeping informed and preparing a supply kit.

2. Storm Water Project Update. Mary Miller reported that new storm water pipes have been installed on Palmer and Davis Streets. The City is working on the swales on Dunn Street, but the digging has been slowed by limestone.

3. Neighborhood Sale.Mary Miller thanked Melissa Banks for organizing the neighborhood sale on September 24^th. The sale appeared to be a big success.

4. Block Party Wrap-Up. Mary Miller thanked everyone who volunteered for the block party. She reminded anyone with outstanding receipts to turn them in to Mary Lou Mitchell for reimbursement. The neighbors discussed the party—it was well-attended, the food from Nick’s and Finch’s was excellent, and the entertainment was excellent as usual.

5. Alley at 1106 S. Washington Street. Ian Woolen reported that the Traffic Commission denied his request to close the alley next to his house. He said that the mayor and the Public Works Department initially supported his petition, but changed their position before the hearing. Ian also reported that it is possible the Traffic Commission may reconsider the denial. He thanked BPNA for the letter of support with the Traffic Commission.

6. Incident Report. Dick Mitchell reported that there have not been any reports of vandalism or thefts from cars since an arrest was made in the case. Mary Miller thanked the Bloomington Police Department for meeting with BPNA in August to discuss safety and awareness.

7. Conservation District. Mary Miller reported that the group will meet soon to determine next steps for applying for conservation district status.

8. BPNA t-shirts. Mary Lou Mitchell reported that BPNA has an abundance of t-shirts with the neighborhood logo. She suggested lowering the price to $10 (down from the current $15) as a way to sell more shirts. The members voted in favor of the lower price. Mary Miller suggested purchasing the border design on the t-shirts from Kim Ransdall (original electronic file and full use of design) for $125. The members voted against the purchase.

9. Reimbursements. Treasurer Mary Lou Mitchell made a motion that reimbursement requests of over $100 be submitted to the association for a vote. The members approved the motion.

10. Bryan Park Bridge Update. Mary Miller reported that the City will install the BPNA’s bridge in Bryan Park by the end of the year. The Parks Department has recently been working on the footings for the bridge.

11. Semi-Trucks on Grimes. Tonia Matthews reported that more semi’s have been using Grimes Lane to make deliveries to the Carlisle factory. Grimes is marked as prohibited to semi-truck traffic. She suggested that BPNA write a letter to Carlisle alerting them to the problem.

12. Other business. A representative of George and Pat Peffley reported that the will be seeking a variance for an addition to their house at 1301 S. Henderson Street. The contractor will post details regarding the variance request on the neighborhood list-serve.

13. Next meeting. The next BPNA meeting is scheduled for October 25, 2011.

BPNA monthly meeting

Our monthly meeting for October will be this Tuesday, Oct. 25. As usual, we'll meet at 7:00 p.m. at the Free Methodist Church on the corner of Grimes and S. Lincoln.

Guest Speaker

Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director of the Shalom Community Center, will speak and take questions during the first half of the meeting. The Shalom Center has recently moved to S. Walnut St., and though not officially in the BPNA, is a close neighbor. Mr Gilmore will speak about the mission of the center, as well as more generally about issues of homelessness in Bloomington and the U.S.

NEW BUSINESS

Hillside/Henderson Project

Development plans have been announced for the corner of Hillside and Henderson, across from Feast. The project will go before the Plan Commission on Nov. 7.

OLD BUSINESS

Stormwater Project

The stormwater remediation project to solve the flooding problems along Dunn St. is just about done. City crews protected all of the trees throughout the affected area, after working closely with members of our group. Any comments or concerns about the project?

Alley Problem

Ian Woolen and Isabel Piedmont have submitted a petition to the Bloomington Traffic Commission to restrict traffic in the alley to emergency vehicles only.

Conservation District

Update on the conservation district application. The subcommittee met last week, and will proceed with the application. There will be ample opportunity for comment, including three public meetings that are required as part of the process.

Incident report

There have been no further reports of vandalism or theft in the neighborhood. Dick and Mary Lou Mitchell, our neighborhood watch representatives, will update the group with any news.

Please let me know if you'd like to add anything to the agenda.

Thanks,

Mary

BPNA Monthly Meeting Tuesday July 26

Our monthly meeting for July will be this Tuesday, July 26. As usual, we'll meet at 7:00 p.m. at the Free Methodist Church on the corner of Grimes and S. Lincoln. Let me know if you'd like to add anything to the agenda.

Incident Report

Scott Oldham, with the police department, can’t make it to the meeting. He has offered to schedule a special meeting with us, to follow up on complaints of car break-ins, graffiti, etc. Stay tuned for a meeting announcement.

See a map of the recent incidents:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=213331140038628962436.0004a8b3439ad56c3e452&msa=0&ll=39.155939,-86.527119&spn=0.00975,0.020471

Walnut St. Newsletter Route

We need volunteers to deliver the newsletters along Walnut St. Anybody?

Conservation District Discussion

Discussion of the recent stories in the HT about proposed plans for a 14,000-square-foot-house in the Elm Heights neighborhood. This house would cover two lots, requiring one existing house to be moved and another mostly demolished to make room for a structure that size. We will have copies of the articles to share.

As we consider the possibility of applying for conservation district status, this will give us a chance to talk about a situation that is happening right now.

OLD BUSINESS

Michael Korus Use Variance

Board of Zoning Appeals denied the use variance request.

Stormwater Project

The stormwater remediation project is scheduled to begin along S. Palmer. The first step is the installation of a new stormwater pipe between Allen and Davis. The city should have contacted everyone along Palmer by now, but if you have any questions, let me know.

Alley Problem

Update on alley problem adjacent to 1106 S. Washington. This was due to come before the Board Of Public Works on June 7, but was postponed for more research. It is currently with the Mayor’s office. We are waiting to hear when this item will be put on the Public Works agenda.

Trucks on E. Grimes

Discussion about oversized truck traffic on E. Grimes.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Stormwater Runoff

Go to http://groups.google.com/group/bpna-stormwater-working-group to join or follow the discussion.

Conservation District

Go to http://groups.google.com/group/bpna-conservation-district-working-group to join or follow the discussion.

RESOURCES

Neighbor Link: Contact the city about issues concerning Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Housing and Neighborhood Development, Planning, ITS, Utilities, Police and Fire Departments.

http://bloomington.in.gov/neighborlink.

Report Graffiti: http://bloomington.in.gov/report-graffiti

BPNA meeting and agenda for June 28, 2011

Our monthly meeting for May will be this Tuesday, June 28. As usual, we'll meet at 7:00p.m. at the Free Methodist Church on the corner of Grimes and S. Lincoln.

AGENDA June 28, 2011

2011 Elections

BPNA will hold election of officers at the meeting. Current officers have volunteered to continue for another year. No other names have been put forward, so election will be a voice vote of those attending the meeting. Nominations may also be made from the floor, if anyone would like to be considered for one of these positions. Current officers are President, Mary Miller; Vice-President, Jan Sorby; Treasurer, Mary Lou Mitchell; Secretary, Jenny Bauer.

From the bylaws: Article VII - Election of Officers

A. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of members present at the regular meeting in the second quarter and shall take office immediately upon conclusion of said meeting. An officer shall serve for a term of one (1) year, and may serve for up to five consecutive terms.

B. The Executive Committee shall annually present a slate of nominees for officers to serve for the ensuing year. Nominations may also be made from the floor.

Alley Problem

Update on alley problem adjacent to 1106 S. Washington. This was due to come before the Board Of Public Works on June 7, but was postponed in order to do more research.

Michael Korus Use Variance

UV-13-11 Hearing, June 13, at the Planning Commission. REQUEST: The petitioner is requesting a use variance recommendation to allow a maximum of 5 unrelated adults to occupy a residential unit within the Residential Core zoning district. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends forwarding UV-13-11 to the Board of Zoning Appeals with a Negative recommendation due its conflict with the Core Neighborhood policies outlined in the Growth Policies Plan. Board of Zoning Appeals hearing will be June 30, 5:30 p.m. at Council Chambers Rm. 115, City Hall.

BPNA Newsletter

Thanks to Anne Hedin for writing and editing the BPNA newsletter for the last 3 years. As you know from her message earlier in June, she is stepping down. Several BPNA members have volunteered to take over from Anne. Dave Stewart has volunteered to serve as Editor, and Jim Opiat will serve as Assistant Editor. Mary Lou Mitchell will continue with her history articles. Tonia Matthew will be a contributing writer, and Jan Sorby will continue to lay out the newsletter. Anne Hedin will help organize the delivery routes. Thanks to all for continuing a great tradition! We can always use more volunteers to spread the work around, so speak up if you can help.

Neighbor Link

New service from the city allows residents to please complete an online form to contact the city about issues concerning Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Housing and Neighborhood Development, Planning, ITS, Utilities, Police and Fire Departments. See http://bloomington.in.gov/neighborlink.

Incident Report

Regular monthly report from Dick and Mary Lou Mitchell, our Neighborhood Watch representatives. We'll ask a representative from the police force to speak at the July meeting, to follow up on complaints of car break-ins, graffiti, etc.

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

May 24, 2011 Minutes

Submitted by Jenny Bauer, BPNA Secretary

The Bryan Park Neighborhood Association met at the Free Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana, on May 24, 2011. Mary Miller, BPNA president, presided over the meeting.

1. Sustainability Projects. Jacqui Bauer, the City of Bloomington’s Sustainability Coordinator, discussed several city sustainability projects. She announced that a traveling film and beer festival will be held in Bryan Park on the evening of June 3^rd. The focus of the films is biking and sustainability. Jacqui reported that the city did a recent energy consumption audit. Bryan Park had the lowest electricity consumption and was in the middle of the pack for gas consumption. She said the city is working to make neighborhoods more energy efficient and hopes to provide kits to assist in this effort. Jacqui also reported that the “Hoosier to Hoosier” sale is scheduled for August 20^th—donated items from IU students and others will be offered for sale to the community.

2. Stormwater improvements on Dunn Street. Mary Miller reported that the City has drawn final plans for the stormwater remediation along Dunn and Allen Streets. She displayed the plans for review. Mary said that the city is ready to begin the project and plans to finish in June. She also stated that the new plans do not require the removal of any trees.

3. 2011 Elections. Mary Miller announced that the 2011 elections for BPNA officers will be held at the June meeting. She made a call for candidates and stated that the current officers are willing to serve another term. Anyone is welcome to put in a name to be considered for the election.

4. Church Neighborhood Cookout. The Free Methodist Church will host a neighborhood cookout on June 5^th.

5. Blooming Neighborhood Awards. BPNA will be awarded a Certificate of Recognition for the Mayor’s Excellence Award on June 1 at the City Council meeting. The award is in recognition for BPNA’s work on the Templeton Elementary School playground project. The award ceremony will be shown via CATS coverage.

6. Blooming Neighborhoods. The city’s Blooming Neighborhoods event is scheduled for June 4^th from 9-Noon at the Farmer’s Market. BPNA will have a table and volunteers are needed to staff it.

7. Incident Report. Isabell Piedmont-Smith reported that she met recently with the city police chief and he is willing to come to a BPNA meeting to discuss recent incidents in the neighborhood. The police are continuing to watch the house at the boarding house at the corner of Washington and Hillside. Isabel said the police encourage neighborhood residents to report noise and vandalism problems by calling the non-emergency phone number—339-4477. Several members reported problems with car break-ins.

8. Alley Problem. Isabel Piedmont-Smith reported that the Traffic Commission is about to consider an issue involving the east-west alley next to Ian Woolen’s house at 1106 South Washington Street. Ian explained that the alley was meant to be an emergency exit, but is instead used by over 40 cars a day to exit the gas station and car wash. Ian has asked the Traffic Commission to make the alley one-way going west (or close it completely), so people can’t use it to exit the gas station onto Washington St.. The gas station current has exits onto Grimes, Walnut and the north-south alley behind the station. A motion was made and seconded to recommend that the Traffic Commission approve the request to change the east-west alley next to 1106 South Washington Street. Mary Miller asked Jenny Bauer and Jan Sorby to prepare a letter to the Traffic Commission. Joanne Henriot volunteered to deliver the letter to the commission.
   
   Update from Isabel: The request to block the alley was NOT on the Board of Public Works' agenda for Tuesday, June 7. Apparently the staff feels there is more background work to be done, perhaps more discussion with the neighbors and the gas station/car wash manager. The item may be on the agenda for the next meeting, June 21. See http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=170 for more information.

9. Michael Korus Use Variance. Michael Korus lives at 120 E. Dixie, on a property containing two houses–the original house (now a rental duplex), and the house he currently lives in. The house that he lives in was moved to the lot from Fourth and Lincoln Streets in to make way for the new fire station in 1990. The city declared the zoning for the house to be Single Family as part of the Uniform Development Ordinance in 2007. Mr. Korus explained that he wants to move out of the neighborhood and rent out this house. He said he wants the use variance so he can rent to 5 unrelated adults and maximize his cash-flow on it as a rental property. Patrick Shay from the Planning Department explained that the house did not get the higher occupancy rating because it was not used as a rental when the zoning change was made. He said the current zoning calls for a limit to 3 unrelated adults living in the house. If the use variance is granted, the occupancy limit would increase to 5 unrelated adults and the change would run with the property in perpetuity. There was a lengthy discussion on this issue. No action was taken. The Planning Commission hears the request for the use variance on June 13^th.
   
   Update: This item is on the agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on Monday, June 13. The meeting is in the City Hall chambers Rm 115. For more information, see http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=5413.
   

10. Next meeting. The next BPNA meeting is scheduled for June 28, 2011, at 7 p.m. at the Free Methodist Church, corner of Grimes and Lincoln.

Storm Recovery Volunteers for Your Neighborhood

 
 
From: Lucy Schaich [mailto:schaichl@bloomington.in.gov]
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 5:24 PM
To: pmurray; Jan Sorby; lorrac58@gmail.com; Jack Baker; jromaine@indiana.edu; Molly O'Donnell; southernjenny@yahoo.com
Subject: Storm Recovery Volunteers for your Neighborhood
 
Greetings Neighborhood Leaders-
This storm has been most cruel to our neighborhoods! City and private crews are out working hard to clear roads, sidewalks and alleyways, but for many people, the damage done was on their private property and is therefore not eligible for this service.
 
If you know of any residents who are in need of general assistance with clearing brush and debris and getting it to the curb to be removed by City crews, please let them know that the Volunteer Network is available to assist with alerting volunteers to these needs. They can register their assistance request online at www.bloomington.in.gov/volunteer.
 
IN ADDITION....Please let us know if you would like us to assist you with volunteer recruitment or referral for the cleanup of storm damage and debris in your neighborhood. If you have a person - you or another point person - who would be willing to receive information about available volunteers and could direct them to where they are needed, please contact us at 349-3433 or volunteer@bloomington.in.gov.
 
We are receiving calls now from volunteers who are interested in helping where they are needed most and would be happy to pass those names along to you!
 
Lucy

Lucy Schaich
City of Bloomington Volunteer Network
401 N. Morton St. , Suite 260
Bloomington, IN 47404
p. 349-3433
schaichl@bloomington.in.gov

BPNA meeting Tues. 5/24 and church cookout announcement

Our monthly meeting for May will be this Tuesday, May 24. As usual, we'll meet at 7:00p.m. at the Free Methodist Church on the corner of Grimes and S. Lincoln.

AGENDA May 24, 2011

Sustainability projects

Jacqui Bauer will attend the meeting and speak about several city sustainability projects, such as Hoosier to Hoosier, energy efficiency, and biking.

Final stormwater plans

We will have final plans from the Utilities Department for the stormwater project along Dunn/Allen Sts.

2011 Elections

BPNA holds election of officers at the June meeting. Call for candidates, and discuss.

Free Methodist Church Neighborhood Cookout

This event will be held on Sunday, June 5, at 5pm, at the church where we hold our monthly meetings. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited. There will be a cookout, games and ice cream, and even pony rides for kids. Come out and meet your neighbors at the Free Methodist Church, located at the corner of Grimes and S. Lincoln St. Flyer attached.

Blooming Neighborhood Awards

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association will be awarded a Certificate of Recognition for the Mayor's Excellence Award for our partnership with Templeton School to secure new playground equipment. This year the Blooming Neighborhood Awards will be presented at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. This will give the public the opportunity to share in the event via CATS coverage.

Blooming Neighborhoods

The Blooming Neighbors celebration is held annually at the Farmer’s Market. This year’s event will be held Sat. June 4, 9am-12pm. We will have a table at the event and need volunteers to staff it.

Incident Report

Regular monthly report from Dick and Mary Lou Mitchell, our Neighborhood Watch representatives.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Stormwater Runoff

Go to http://groups.google.com/group/bpna-stormwater-working-group to join or follow the discussion.

Conservation District

Go to http://groups.google.com/group/bpna-conservation-district-working-group to join or follow the discussion.

BPNA meeting agenda for 4/26

Our monthly meeting for March will be this Tuesday, Apr. 26. As usual, we'll meet at 7:00p.m. at the Free Methodist Church on the corner of Grimes and S. Lincoln.

Our special guest this month will be Nancy Hiestand, Historic Preservation Program Manager for the City of Bloomington. She will talk to us about the conservation district protections we are considering for the Bryan Park neighborhood.

In addition, we will have an update on the city Utilities department stormwater remediation plan to fix the flooding along S. Dunn St.

We will also discuss a gathering suggested by Tonia Matthew, and planned for June 12.

It's a full agenda, but contact Mary Miller if you need to add anything.

Building Character: A Neighborhood Decision

In its current state, the housing market is full of buying opportunities—for developers as well as families. This makes it a good time to explore options “to keep the character of the neighborhood," and not allow the Bryan Park area to turn into a neighborhood of tear-downs and McMansions.

As a starting point for discussion, here are the initial results of the 2010 historic survey of the Bryan Park neighborhood, commissioned by the City of Bloomington (PDF):

http://bit.ly/fTWXir

BPNA Meeting Minutes, March, 22, 2011

The Bryan Park Neighborhood Association met at the Free Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana, on March 22, 2011. Mary Miller, BPNA president, presided over the meeting.

Bike Improvements along Allen Street

The City’s Public Works Department will host a meeting on March 28th at the Free Methodist Church to discuss bicycle infrastructure improvements along Allen St.

Conservation District Application

Bryan Park is welcome to submit a Conservation District application to the Bloomington Historic Commission, according to Nancy Hiestand from the city of Bloomington. BPNA will create a subcommittee to study the issue and decide on boundaries for a possible application. Nancy Hiestand informed us that 3 commissioners and a city council representative will work with BPNA’s subcommittee. Mary reported that the recent Bryan Park historic survey map will be posted to the website shortly.

A motion was made to form a subcommittee to consider a Conservation District application on behalf of BPNA. The motion was seconded and approved. The following BPNA members volunteered to serve on the subcommittee: Jan Sorby, Jon Lawrence, Jenny Bauer, Mary Lou Mitchell, Alyn Soo, Joanne Henriot, Anne Hedin and Mary Miller.

Snow Flyers

Flyers were prepared by Jeff Firestone to remind neighbors of their responsibility to clear snow from sidewalks. Jan Sorby plans to contact local schools to find volunteers to shovel walks for neighbors who are physically unable to do so. The flyers will announce that help is available to shovel sidewalks. The flyers will be revised and distributed next winter.

Block Party and June Gathering

BPNA will apply for a Small and Simple grant from the City to help with the costs of the annual BPNA block party. The date for the block party will be August 26. Everyone enjoyed the new location on Palmer Street last year and we’ll keep the location there if the neighbors agree.

Tonia Matthews suggested a smaller gathering in early summer geared toward older neighbors and neighbors with small children. Tonia will check with the Parks and Recreation Department for available shelter dates at Bryan Park.

Incident Report

Dick Mitchell reported that several people were arrested at the big house at the corner of Hillside and Washington. The house is apparently in violation of several city maintenance codes, which the City Legal Department is pursuing. Dick also reported that a house in the 1300 block of Grant Street was recently broken into for the 4th time.

Next meeting. The next BPNA meeting is scheduled for April 26, 2011.

Davis Street Gardens update - April 2011

It’s gardening time again and if you aspire to grow flowers but don’t have enough room or a sunny spot for them consider joining the Davis Street community gardens. The gardens are located on the north side of Davis Street, between Grant and Palmer. The garden consists of 25 plots of land, each 10 feet square. Residents of the Bryan Park Neighborhood can sign up for a free plot, or more, by contacting the Garden Coordinator Ria Collee. E-mail mcollee@indiana.edu, or by phone 336-2512.

The lots are numbered with the numbers painted on a stone that marks each lot. All of the plots have some sun, but the lots on the west side are sunnier than the lots towards the east, which have semi-shade at different times of the day. Currently, lots 8-9, 18-19, 21, 24-25 are available. The soil is in pretty good shape, plants and flowers have been doing well. There is mulch available on the east end of the gardens by the creek’s culvert. It came mostly from pine trees but has now aged for over a year and should no longer be too acidic. The full guidelines for the garden are available at: http://bryanpark.blogspot.com/2008/02/davis-street-garden-guidelines.html.

Please join us to make the gardens more beautiful than ever by adopting a plot this year.

Open House to Meet Mayor Kruzan this Saturday

Dear Bryan Park Neighbors
Please join us for an open house to meet Mayor Mark Kruzan this Saturday, April 16 from 6:30-8:30p.m. Mayor Kruzan is an exceptional leader and Bloomington has flourished under his leadership. We have known Mayor Kruzan for over 30 years; his abilities and leadership continually impress and amaze us.

But don't take our word for it.... drop by and find out for yourself!

Saturday, April 16
6:30-8:30 p.m.

Jan Sorby and Jon Lawrence
525 E. Grimes Lane
Bryan Park Neighorhood

Tame rabbit in my back yard

I have a large (probably twenty pound) gray rabbit with brown and black stripes that may be a pet living under my back porch. It is easy to see. If it belongs to someone, or you have a good recipe, please contact me. It is driving my dogs crazy. We live in the 1300 block of South Dunn St. I can be contacted at 317-506-7617.

Greg Ellis

Mon. 3/28: Allen St. Bikeway Public Meeting

The City of Bloomington Public Works Department is hosting a meeting on Monday, March 28 at 5:30pm at the Free Methodist Church, Grimes Lane and S. Lincoln Street. (where we hold our monthly meetings) to discuss bicycle infrastructure improvements along Allen Street. They will be seeking input on a variety of possible tools to make these streets more attractive for bicycles. The meeting is open to the general public.

The initial plan would include simple striping, shared lane markings, and signage; there is also potential to change stop sign orientation to allow bikes to have right of way. All improvements will be pilot projects since this is the city's first "bike boulevard," part of a plan to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure throughout the city.

They will also be seeking input on some intermediate and long-term options--these might include a pedestrian/bike median at Walnut and signalization options.

For more information, see

http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=5688

BPNA meeting Tues. 3/22

Our monthly meeting for March will be this Tuesday, Mar. 22. As usual, we'll meet at 7:00p.m. at the Free Methodist Church on the corner of Grimes and S. Lincoln.

AGENDA

OLD BUSINESS

[Update]

Bryan Park Conservation District

Continuing the discussion from several meetings over the past year, we will talk about the nature of a conservation district, and the many steps of the application process to ensure neighborhood interest and public comment. The city has just said that we may choose to apply, if we wish. At the meeting, we will be discussing the district, when and how public comment is incorporated, and whether we should form a subcommittee to proceed.

[Follow up on snow flyers -- Postponed to a future meeting with more time]

Jan will contact local schools to find volunteers to shovel walks for those unable to do so. We will edit the flyers Jeff Firestone proposed, to reflect that help will be available for those who cannot shovel their walks due to physical limitations.

Thanks to Jeff F. for updating our web site at http://bryanpark.blogspot.com/.

NEW BUSINESS

Bike improvements along Allen St.

The City of Bloomington Public Works Department will be hosting a meeting on Monday, March 28 at 5:30pm at the Free Methodist Church to discuss bicycle infrastructure improvements along Allen and Smith Streets. They will be seeking input on a variety of possible "tools" to make these streets more attractive for bicycles. The meeting is open to the general public.

Small and Simple Grant

The grant proposal for our annual block party is due in April. We'll discuss the details--so we can get the application done.

Neighborhood Leadership Series

Thursday, April 7, 2011, 7 to 9 p.m., City Council Chambers

The session on Thursday, April 7 "HANDS ON HOUSING" will be highly interactive. HAND staff will to talk to participants about their own housing as well as what is needed in the neighborhood. A wide variety of stations will be set up to help you improve your home, not just for your own comfort and pocketbook, but also for Bloomington as a whole. Programs cover how to purchase, maintain, and rehabilitate a home, how to deal with an emergency and how to make your home more energy efficient. Attend this fun and interactive session with HAND staff to learn how to make your home a part of our increasingly sustainable city.

HAND will offer a drawing for a free Home Energy Audit to one of the participants in each session!

Neighborhood Watch

Regular report from Dick and Mary Lou Mitchell.

Please let me know if you'd like to add anything to the agenda.

Thanks,

Mary

BPNA meeting Tues. 1/25

Our first monthly meeting of 2011 will be this Tuesday, Jan. 25. As usual, we'll
meet at 7:00p.m. at the Free Methodist Church on the corner of Grimes and S.
Lincoln.

AGENDA

BPNA Email List
We'll discuss email list policy, as we continue to refine our guidelines for the
open list.

Incident Report
Regular monthly report from Dick and Mary Lou Mitchell, our Neighborhood Watch
representatives.

ONGOING PROJECTS
Since it has been awhile since we've met, we'll revisit our ongoing projects
with an overview of where they stand.

Stormwater Runoff
Go to http://groups.google.com/group/bpna-stormwater-working-group to join or
follow the discussion.

Conservation District
Go to http://groups.google.com/group/bpna-conservation-district-working-group to
join or follow the discussion.
Please email me at mpm_mil...@yahoo.com if you'd like to add anything to the
agenda.

Thanks,
Mary