By: Diane Benjamin 1) The zoning change for the property in this story was delayed by the Planning Commission until October: https://blnnews.com/2025/09/03/homeless-shelter-in-single-family-neighborhood-at-planning-commission-today/ I have no idea why. 2) h/t a reader The cabins for the downtown homeless village Home Sweet Home Ministries is building are being assembled where Clay Dooley used to be located: .
By: Diane Benjamin See PDF page 20: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1087/files/agenda/6753 The documentation doesn’t make it clear what the owner of the vacant property wants to build: . The only way to understand what is happening is to read this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-06-02/long-term-plan-to-help-the-homeless-lives-short-life-on-bloomingtons-northwest-side Excepts: Chris Collins said he invited people to sleep on land he owned in a Bloomington […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1021/files/agenda/6725 Justin Boyd is getting a Proclamation for serving 9 years on the Planning Commission. The documentation doesn’t say if he’s leaving or if he’s just being celebrated. My question: Is Bloomington better now because of his ‘Planning” than it was 9 years ago? Guess what’s back! . TEN YEARS ago […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have been contacted by numerous residents of Normal regarding this development. The property was originally zoned for single-family use but was abruptly rezoned for multi-family housing in the heart of a single-family neighborhood. Area residents fear this will disrupt their tranquil lifestyle, increasing traffic and crime. Normal’s leadership appears unresponsive to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal issued this statement yesterday: Let’s start with the Trustee candidates listed with red stars by their name. Add former trustee RC McBride to that list. What do they all have in common? They all come from the Planning Commission! This proves why Chris Koos doesn’t tell the public who he plans […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s documentation: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4489 Normal will spend $107,244.79 without bidding: The policy should just be abolished since Pam Reece ignores it at almost every meeting. Time for a lesson on government: Fiscal responsibility doesn’t happen with government because they spend other people’s money (yours). ISU closed the approximately 23 acres on Shelbourne in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Review: All of these commissioners were hand-picked by Chris Koos. The Council is told they have to approve whoever he picks. The names of appointees aren’t given to the public until after the Council rubber-stamps them with a YES vote. RC McBride was kicked off the Council by voters, now he chairs […]
By: Diane Benjamin One would think since this meeting is being held in the Council Chambers it would be Live Streamed. There are two items a LOT of people will be interested. It will NOT be on video! See this story for details of the agenda: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/31/north-normal-normal-and-barickman-want-to-devalue-your-property/ I asked Mercy Davidson about video: I will […]
By: Diane Benjamin Before reading the rest of THIS article, read this one: https://nypost.com/2020/07/21/joe-bidens-disastrous-plans-for-americas-suburbs/ On Thursday the Planning Commission will hear testimony about high-density and medium-density housing right next to expensive housing in Wintergreen Subdivision. This is exactly the plan Obama started under the guise of Equity housing. Biden is continuing the plan to destroy […]
By: Diane Benjamin Temporary sign regulations will be heard at the Planning Commission August 4th at 5:00. Below is an excerpt from an email Pam Reece wrote to the council before the July 5th meeting: Did you catch Uptown Signs are next? Why was a Public Review process needed? During the meeting there were flimsy […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4338 See PDF page 84. Numerous references were made during the meeting to a recent Supreme Court ruling that made these changes necessary. The documentation however doesn’t reference any Supreme Court ruling. Since Kathleen Lorenz was on Cities 92.9 this morning and stated that reason again, I asked her by email what […]
By: Diane Benjamin There was 1 Public Comment at the beginning of the meeting – Karl Sila. 1:45. Another person was prevented from speaking by Normal’s tyrannical policy until the end of the meeting. When it was finally her turn she wasn’t there. Liz Burton was called at 1:34:35. Normal should be ashamed of themselves […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1170&Inline=True Tari Renner stacked all the Board and Commission. Mboka continues to just reappoint the same people. No Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Mboka? This item shouldn’t be on the Consent Agenda, it should be pulled for further discussion. Does the City want to risk an abandoned property if the owners can’t use […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Planning Commission packet from April 6th: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27751/637846706526470000 This meeting was not on video because it was held in the Osbourne room of the Police Station. If all new vehicles will soon be required to be electric, why would anyone build this: This was on the agenda, it will be around Market […]
By: Diane Benjamin Even though items on the Omnibus Agenda are rarely questioned by anyone other than Stan Nord, Kathleen Lorenz pulled 3 items last night. The reasons she gave didn’t make a lot of sense, it appears she now wants the public to know she isn’t a rubber-stamper. The meeting lasted slightly over an […]
By: Diane Benjamin Zimmerman ran unsuccessfully for the Normal Town council last year. He was the chair of the Normal Planning Commission too. His term was scheduled to expire on March 31, 2023, the below is from last summer: AJ is no longer the Chairperson, in fact he isn’t on the Planning Commission now: According […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember back to last year. Usually when a zoning change is requested it is because some entrepreneur wants to develop a property in a way it isn’t zoned for. That isn’t the case with One Normal Plaza. The Town is pushing allowing alcohol in the park. Yes, it is a park setting […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on the “Attack” Stan meeting last week. Attorney Brian Day spoke about 3 items-video below: 1) Day didn’t talk about Pam Reece’s procurement ethics, just Stan Nord’s. Day complained about Nord talking to local vendors AFTER the Town had already picked their favorite. Day left out the AFTER. The Town didn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part 1: https://blnnews.com/2020/12/22/im-a-proud-conspiracy-theorist-residents-of-normal-should-be-too/ Remember pre-Stan when meetings lasted about 10 minutes? Last night was close to 3 1/2 hours mostly because items were included that didn’t need to be. The Council heard a report from Beth Whisman concerning how Cultural Arts is surviving COVID. All the the part time staff, around 40 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just a reminder: Chemberly Cummings wants to make laws in Springfield to control you, but she refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance. She put the red sign over her camera. She hates America and is unfit for ANY office. She did not get her internet connection fixed, the quality is still […]
By: Diane Benjamin Start with One Normal Plaza. STAFF convinced the Council to instigate zoning changes. The area residents only want ONE THING – alcohol sales banned in the park. Drive through – it’s a park like setting with narrow roads and family atmosphere. They want it to stay a tranquil place. STAFF refused to […]
By: Diane Benjamin With virtually nothing on the agenda Normal might be back to a short meeting. I don’t expect that trend to continue unless they are completely out of money and just not telling anyone. Monday would be a great time for off-agenda Public Comment – lots of them! Koos has the time to […]
I just received another FOIA from Normal. Supporting the brewery was the building owner, Rob Morger. The Baby fold supported the zoning changes. By: Diane Benjamin Last night the group of citizens opposed to establishments selling alcohol from a building in One Normal Plaza met with Town staff. Normal brought the big guns: City Manager […]
By: Diane Benjamin 9:00 – Stan pulled the bills for further discussion – particularly paying property taxes. Pam Reece and attorney Brian Day didn’t have good answers for not filing paperwork to make them exempt. 14:45 Koos ends the conversation. Next was the contract with the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. Stan wanted the same […]
By: Diane Benjamin I hope you haven’t forgotten the Town of Normal billed Stan Nord for fees they “forgot” to charge 3 or 4 owners previous for tapping into the sewer system. The Town had no liens on the property, he was told to pay when he started publicly speaking against Town policies – like […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pre-meeting: https://blnnews.com/2020/05/05/normal-incompetence-and-more/ A 10 minute break was taken after the pre-meeting. The Live Stream was supposed to be fixed. It wasn’t. The incompetence continued. Listen at 1:20:00 for Vasudha Gadhiraju claiming she will fix it. She didn’t, At 1:27:50 she claims it will be fixed today. 12:35 pm, still waiting: Most of […]
Thanks to a reader! The property is where Hardees used to be. There are no events listed under Planning Commission on the City website. There is nothing on the City calendar for January 8th. I don’t think a hearing would be required if another fast food place was moving in – at least it shouldn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin See PDF page 56: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1052&Inline=True This is on the Consent Agenda: I wonder if the “applicant” requested the Special Use Permit or the City found out about the track and instigated it. The track is already built. See PDF page 67, the race cars aren’t for people to ride in, they are […]
By: Diane Benjamin The radical leftists are running rampant again just like they did in the 60’s. They weren’t stopped then until they showed their violent side, expect the rabble-rousing to accelerate in the future. The Decatur City Council voted to not allow a cannabis dispensary. A group called the Decatur Dispensary Project is collecting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night the Planning Commission approved onsite use of cannabis. That makes cannabis just like a bar! Where are the bars? Downtown! Users will flock downtown to smoke weed inside even though cigarettes have been banned for years. Maybe some snack shops will open to satisfy the munchies of the participants. Jenn […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal needs to immediately kick Mike Matejka off their Planning Commission: http://www.normal.org/401/Planning-Commission Matejka is still spreading hate on the Not In Our Town Facebook page: The entire premise of the story is based on the false narrative of what happen. Matejka evidently only gets his news from far left-wing […]
The truth about adding bike lanes on Washington Street has little to do with safety, as Bike BloNo would have everyone believe. There are Illinois State Statutes as well as municipal codes governing the safe use of bicycles. https://www.activetrans.org/sites/files/Illinois%20statutes.pdf City Code Article XIX Regulations for Bicycles Chapter 29: Section 158: Traffic Laws Apply to Persons Riding Bicycles. […]
