By: Diane Benjamin
Refer back to this story where Tim Gleason stated Council is going to be asked to invest $350,000,000-$400,000,000 in the Water Master improvement Plan: https://blnnews.com/2023/08/29/bloomington-1st-of-2/
I wonder if the “Equity” rate study will appear soon? https://blnnews.com/2023/06/21/water-equity-bloomington/
What about the never used Water Tower along I-55 in Normal? No one ever mentions that multi-million dollar waste of money and no one has been held accountable. From a source – the City took out a loan with the IEPA:
IEPA Loan L172270
$3,568,582, at 2.570% simple annual interest
From the same source
Why is the tower not used?
Based on the various reports and planning documents available, it is noted that the piping between the stubby tower, Ft Jesse pump and reservoir site, and the Division Street pump and reservoir site require significant rehabilitation and/or replacement to be able to sustain the increased operating pressure and will require an increase in diameter for additional flow capacity. Special valving and control equipment are required to control and maintain the pressurized environment required. These last phases of construction were never completed and are believed to be incredibly cost prohibitive.
In order for the tank to work, the main (from the tower) to City must be pressurized.
Does this give you confidence in spending 100’s of million more?
More on the chicken keeping that got tabled Monday:
I’m told Kent Lee pulled it from the agenda, not Tom Crumpler.
I have a friend that lives in the area and filled me in on some details. The couple who applied for a permit already had chickens on their property for a month before applying for the permit. Neighbors weren’t happy because they can attract rats, skunks, and foxes.
The permit was heard at the Zoning Board of Appeals back in July: PDF page 9 https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/ffcfa837-7a5f-11ed-9024-0050569183fa-64528255-b1e8-4826-b779-8e42da5ac7eb-1689260821.pdf
This paragraph is included:
Ding, ding, ding!
The HOA specifically states no “barnyard animals” are allowed.
Now have some fun reading the minutes of the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing: PDF page 2 https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/2108916/ZBA_Draft_Minutes_-_2023-07-19.pdf
People on both sides of the issue appeared. This statement is interesting, the homeowner built a coop and bought chicks with no intention of keeping them?
Ms. Smith stated they already have a coop picked out and is has been constructed. She added the chickens are already at the residence. She stated she originally bought them as chicks with no intent to permanently keep them, but later decided to keep them.
It appears the HOA has to enforce the covenants themselves because the City can’t. Of course the homeowners had no consequences for getting the chickens without a permit.
I was involved one time personally with a covenant incident. I won’t go into detail but it came down to the homeowner that had an issue with a shed that I built that matched my house , the covenants stated no out buildings, he would have had to take me to court on his dime. Unfortunately he chose to move instead.
I still can’t believe that covenant rules are not a mandatory part of a house closing. In my instance I had no idea that there were covenants in my neighborhood. The builder and realtor told me that if I wanted a shed that I could put one up no problem. A side note if my shed had to come down all the kids playground structures would have had to be taken down.
1.) No chickens in residential areas. If you want farm animals, then live out in the country.
2.) So tired of so called multi-family developments. People want to be homeowners. Rent is insanely high.
You ask “I wonder if the “Equity” rate study will appear soon?” I agree Diane. It is important to know how Bloomington or any organization defines Equity, especially where it is used to modify the distribution of resources.
Everyone should question what the working definition of the new word “Equity” is. It is not what it use to be.
Let people have chickens! I don’t see anything wrong with chickens…All these HOAs are just Nazis is disguise. I like the good old days when having an old refrigerator in the front yard was both a yard ornament and a good place to keep the night crawlers you were selling. And what is wrong with a couple non-working cars in the front yard? You got them up on cinder blocks. What is the problem? The problem is with all these uppity folks here who “worry” all the time about their stupid “property values”… who cares about whether or not you can get some crazy price for your stupid house? Just leave people alone for god’s sake! I would like to have hogs in the back yard…. but no…. that would be a big “crime” around here.
The City Code allows chicken-keeping in an enclosed structure with a Special Use Permit. This woman is being rewarded for violation of the City Code by having chickens run free in her yard without having the Special Use Permit.
I have no problem with buying a house with chickens, goats, hogs, and refrigerators in the front yard if they are all there before I buy my choice but if I buy a house in an area with no farm animals in the yard and no refrigerator in the front yard I expect that area to remain as is my choice. Otherwise move to the country your choice.
I don’t expect to make any profit on my house I would however expect to get back what I paid for it.