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This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, May 20th, 2024.
In today’s feature report, WFHB Correspondent Annika Harshbarger covers New Horizons, an adult beginner orchestra based here in Bloomington. More in today’s feature report.
That’s Maryann Iaria from Monroe County Civic Theater, our community’s only all-volunteer nonprofit theater group. They’re about to launch their annual Shakespeare in the Park and you’ll get the details later in the show on a new episode of Activate!, featuring real people working for positive change in our community.
But first, your daily headlines:
Bloomington City Council
On May 15th at the Bloomington City Council meeting, City Clerk Nicole Brown read the title and synopsis of an ordinance that would rezone nearly 140 acres of land off South Weimer Road.
Development Services Manager for the City Jackie Scanlan walked through a basic overview of the property which would bring over 4,000 housing units to the southwest part of the city.
Angela Parker, an attorney representing the petitioner Sudbury Partners, LLC, said discussions have advanced since the council last met to deliberate on the project earlier this month.
Then, the council deliberated on nine “reasonable conditions” on the ordinance. Among these conditions were: restrictions on building height, affordable housing requirements, and an enablement of home ownership in each neighborhood, among others.
Council Member Dave Rollo took issue with a handful of conditions. He made a motion to postpone the ordinance until the council’s next regular session in early June. He explained his reasoning for the motion to postpone.
Council Parliamentarian Hopi Stosberg argued against the postponement of the ordinance saying this is the third time the council met to discuss this development, and she doesn’t want to further delay the process.
Council Member Matt Flaherty shared that he’s sympathetic to Rollo’s point-of-view, but he would not favor postponing the ordinance.
The motion failed by a 2-7 vote. During public comment on the ordinance as a whole, local resident Paully Taricone spoke about the difficulty of finding affordable housing in Bloomington and what he sees as the importance of housing density in the community.
Council Member Andy Ruff said he believes the reasonable conditions improved the ordinance. He quoted the comprehensive plan on the subjects of “growth” and “development.”
The council voted 7-2 in favor of the ordinance, with Council Members Andy Ruff and Dave Rollo dissenting. The Bloomington City Council will meet again on June 5th.
Feature Report:
In today’s feature report, WFHB Correspondent Annika Harshbarger covers New Horizons, an adult beginner orchestra based here in Bloomington. For more, we turn to Annika Harshbarger.
You know summer is really here when the Monroe County Civic Theater does Shakespeare in the park. Our community’s only all-volunteer nonprofit theater group has been doing it for thirty-five years, and next week this year’s production goes back to basics with “The Comedy of Errors,” one of Shakespeare’s first plays. Maryann Iaria is super excited about this and you can hear it in her voice on a new episode of Activate!, coming your way right now on the WFHB Local News.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Annika Harshbarger.
Activate is produced by Chad Carrothers and Michelle Moss.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
