By: Diane Benjamin
Monday night the Bloomington City Council is circling back to the May 27th discussion of Missing Middle Housing. In case you forgot, the City hired a California group called Opticos Design Inc.
Some things you need to know:
-The report is littered with the term “Best Practices”. That is a ridiculous term meant to convince Bloomington that some canned approach will work nationwide. Meanwhile housing in California is unaffordable. Hint: Bloomington has very little in common with California, especially during winter.
-Numerous “staff” don’t live in Bloomington: Jurgens, Pfeiffer, Rathbun to name a few. They aren’t paying the now ridiculous water and electricity rates inflicted on you and they won’t be affected by what Opticos proposes.
-I bet no one will mention the local Mid Illinois Realtors Association has been conspiring with this group since February of 2024: (note the former mayor on the right)
\
-I bet no one will mention how much Opticos is planning to get paid. They already got $2000:
We haven’t been told how much the contract is, but if another payment of more than $23,000 is made “staff” violated City Code which states contracts over $25,000 must be bid.
If more than $48,000 is due, the City Manager exceeded his $50,000 spending limit without Council approval. That $50,000 should be reduced immediately! It was increased during COVID.
Of course we know City Code is immaterial to everyone except the peons dragged into Administrative Court since Aldermen faced no consequences when they violated it. (Cody Henricks, Jenna Kearns, Abby Scott)
-Bloomington population growth projections are wildly too high.
-Opticos loves walkable vehicle free cities. They love renters so generational wealth is impossible. Their plan turns your quiet subdivision into ADU heaven. Zoning won’t matter and neither will the current required setbacks between houses. See these two Opticos posts:
.
You can see the Opticos plan below below. Since the City screwed up how meeting documents are posted, we will have to page down to get to it.
If you don’t know what your current zoning is, you won’t understand how this plan affects you. The zoning map however is terrible: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/31577/638878475509980987
This plan affects every area of Bloomington. We know the City has approved numerous developments and zero is happening because of interest rates and ability to finance. The realtors who want to turn Bloomington into some California city should move there. Few people want to walk and bike when it’s boiling hot or frigidly cold here. They won’t be taking the bus – they will be driving.
Contact your alderman and tell them to DUMP Opticos and this plan! https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/city-council
https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1033/files/agenda/6695
I took the documentation presented at the May 27th Council meeting and had GROK analyze it. GROK reduced 63 pages to two. Pages 64-84 are recommendations that do not fit Bloomington. See those at the link above.
These 15 minute cities and neighborhoods are being built to control people. Those with vehicles have a way of escape so the idea is, take away personal transportation to keep people in. The Ghettos in Nazi occupied territory was a good example. Don’t give people the freedom to move around or be able to go to other communities and do business.
Do slick promos and presentations work, or is critical thinking still necessary?
I did some AI searches to try and get unbiased information on Opticos’ actual performance. It varied widely due to the sources used. AI will pull from promotional materials, awards, planning reports, marketing. So I asked for unbiased data driven results and found that they weren’t so rosy and in some cases hard to find.
1. Reducing housing costs? – These projects “can inflate rents by 15-20%”. “Housing costs surged”, Many other examples of low rental displacement due to increased housing costs. Rent control you say? Who will invest?
2. Gentrification? – “Significant risks”
Culdesac Tempe, Tempe, AZ – the irony:
“A high-profile, award-winning project designed by Opticos
Marketed as innovative and sustainable urbanism
But priced for affluent residents rather than addressing housing affordability”
3. City Maintenance Costs? – only if existing areas are leveled.
4. Housing Availability? There is limited actual data available. Sometimes the scale of the change doesn’t meet the city’s housing needs which doesn’t fix the problem. Who wins? Developers who get people to buy and move.
5. Safety? – “Risks in dense areas: increased crime, traffic diversion, or emergency delays. LA County analysis notes “paradoxical” crash rises post-redesign.”
“Urban Institute report cites mistrust exacerbating tensions.”
Just a fancy new name for planners making more plans with a feel good vocabulary so they can get paid.
Having to pay Consultants to do the job your professional planning department staff are getting well paid and benefited to do says it all. The city should just outsource this function entirely.
Touting the “car free neighborhood” why are the Opticos planners here? Shouldn’t they be happy to stay at home? Probably need a car to get to the airport. Surely any airport closest to Tempe is a bit of a hassle to walk to. They should practice what they preach and work remotely. Skip the company paid trip, stipends, lower the carbon footprint, save the planet. Groundbreaking project, lmao. No different than living in a college dorm.
The planners get to do what they want and we are to fall in line. Al Gore, perfect example, jetting around the Country and world in his private jet but we better not leave any carbon footprints. They are doing their job for the better good don’t ya know. It’s ok for me but not for thee.