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Officials Still Unsure Of Proposed Housing Development Near Switchyard Park

By Ethan Burks

Posted April 1, 2021

A drawing of what the proposed housing development on West Hillside could look like.

Potential renderings of the development show multiple housing options right next to the B-Line Trail. (Courtesy: City of Bloomington)

A proposal to develop 3.7 acres for housing on West Hillside Drive near Switchyard Park is still getting mixed reviews from elected officials.

The new development would sit right along the B-Line trail as seven separate buildings with 19 townhomes, 104 multifamily residences and over 7,000 square-feet of commercial space.

The city council’s Land Use Committee said Wednesday night that it agrees more forms of housing need to be available in that part of town, but building more roads with parking spaces for cars is not environmentally responsible.

"Either we want parking or we want greenspace, there is no in-between. Cars are not green. The roads they drive on are not green," said councilmember Steve Volan. 

Volan said the only compromise he sees is concentrating all the complex's parking into an on-site garage.

"We have to ask the question, how important is it for each townhouse resident to have a car parked right next to their building? If we’re willing to make that change, we might be able to make this a greener project," said Volan. 

Other members of the Land Use Committee shared similar concerns, as well as hearing negative feedback from the Bloomington Environmental Commission. 

"We cannot justify allowing such a change from Bloomington’s vetted regulations with nothing in return to benefit the community’s environmental footprint," the commission wrote in a memo to the city.

The Bloomington Environmental Commission argues the development fails to meet the standards set in the city's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The UDO states the maximum amount of impervious surface space on a site is 60%, but this site plan would contain 80%.

Councilmember Matt Flaherty said it is a delicate balance between densifying housing for more people closer to downtown amenities versus the site’s environmental impact. 

"That development goes somewhere. It goes to Ellettsville or it goes to the county or goes elsewhere instead, and that is sprawl and perpetuates a lot of the climate problems that we do have with longer drive distances.”

Flaherty said having more units near walkable and bikeable transporation routes presents its own environmental advantages. 

Several committee members are still unsure of the proposal, but said they are optimistic pending a few changes before city council gives it a final review at its next regular session on Wednesday, April 7.

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