Tag: historic preservation

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Do Property Rights in Bloomington matter?

By: Diane Benjamin See this WGLT story about Holy Trinity Church: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-09-04/bloomington-planning-commission-recommends-making-holy-trinity-church-a-local-historic-site?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook This excerpt is all you need to know: . If the property owner doesn’t want the designation then the Council vote should be a unanimous NO. Obviously the Planning Commission doesn’t respect Property Rights. We will see when the Council votes on September […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Final Bloomington last night

By: Diane Benjamin The meeting, including Township before Council, was over 3 hours. Your representatives look ridiculous behind masks. Normal doesn’t wear them at Council meetings, citizens deserve to see your faces! Of course the camera operator makes seeing faces difficult since it always isn’t in the right location. It was much more fun seeing […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Council Can’t Make Decisions

By:  Diane Benjamin Absent last night:  Jenn Carrillo and Jeff Crabill. Tari Renner claimed he is homeless because pipes broke in his house.  I wonder if he will be paying the likely high water bill?  I hope he didn’t opt out of the insurance that will cover part of the cost.  He was back from […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Trail East: Stealing Bloomington jobs

By:  Diane Benjamin The proposed building on Uptown Circle will result in the loss of historic buildings on Beaufort – and the mural. What does Normal Get? Farnsworth Group and AFNI jobs will relocate from Bloomington.  No new jobs.  No growth for the area, just destruction of the mural and historic buildings. Is the war […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Koos unites the Left and Right – AGAINST him!

By:  Diane Benjamin At the last meeting of the Normal Town Council citizens showed up to protest the latest development plan for Uptown:    https://blnnews.com/2018/10/16/normal-citizens-showed-up-no-minds-changed/ Two speakers decried the plan to destroy more historic buildings.  The Council didn’t care and passed the plan anyway. There is now a petition on-line to save the mural:   https://www.change.org/p/town-of-normal-city-council-save-the-mural-save-our-money It […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

$7000 for one day

By:  Diane Benjamin On November 6, 2017 Normal had this payment on the meeting documentation:   http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2772 I filed a Freedom of Information request for details.  See the response here:  Invoice for Camp Workshop CAMP stands for Commissioner Assistance & Mentoring Program.  The full name of the Payee is  National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.. It looks like Normal […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Brick Streets: FORWARD!

By:  Diane Benjamin Two truths: Bloomington road resurfacing is seriously underfunded Tari has stacked the commissions with people who think just like him Tomorrow the Historic Preservation meeting is at 5:00 in the Council Chambers.  http://www.cityblm.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/5532/17?backlist=%2f On the agenda is discussion of a Master Plan for Brick Streets.  Keep in mind Master Plans are suggestions […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Six Reasons to Say No to Local Historic Districts

By L.M. Schwartz 1. More Regulation! Despite the opinions of all the “experts”, Historic Districts are simply another scheme for government control of private property, and despite all the slick reassurances and arguments to the contrary, Historic Districts are another layer of bureaucracy. Property owners are told the Architectural Review Board or the Historic District Commission […]