The council approved $10 million in park bonds Wednesday for new trails, trees and street enhancements.
Mayor John Hamilton described the bicentennial bond projects as a gift to the future, a way to pay forward to the next generations in honor of the bicentennial.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Hamilton said.
The 20-year bonds would require an increase in property taxes and would add to the city’s existing $20 million debt.
Council members disagreed on whether spending $10,265,000 for beautification and recreation was justified given Bloomington’s challenges with affordable housing, homelessness and substance abuse.
“If I’m going to raise taxes on people, I want to prioritize the needs of those who are less fortunate,” council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith said.
Hamilton said the decision is not an either-or, and would enhance quality of life for all members of the community.
The council voted on each of the three parks bonds separately. Bloomington resident Cathi Crabtree urged the council to vote no on some of the bonds and address the remainder once funding is spent on more pressing problems.
“I believe that people should not live in poverty while we beautify the city for people who already have so much,” Crabtree said.
Council member Jim Sims asked if it was possible to add a fourth bond to provide public bathrooms in the downtown area. Underwood said this was a possibility, and there are serious ongoing discussions about downtown restroom facilities.
The council voted 5-3-0 to pass the first bond, which devotes a maximum of $3,435,000 to improvements along Seventh Street and would create a new trail connecting Switchyard Park to the west side, according to the ordinance.
The project would make a two-way protected bicycle lane to increase safety along Seventh Street from the B-Line Trail to Woodlawn Avenue. A Neighborhood Greenway, a residential street with low volumes of traffic to make bikers and pedestrians more comfortable, would be developed along Seventh Street from Union Street to State Road 45/46 Bypass.
The RCA/Power Line trail would run about 1.3 miles from the west side of Rogers Street to the east side of Weimer Road.
The second bond would make enhancements and additions to trails. A $1.25 million project would create a 3.6 mile hiking loop at Griffy Lake, the first to encircle the entire lake. Another trail, expected to cost $2.1 million, would run about 1.2 miles from Clubhouse Drive to the intersection of Lower Cascades Park Road and College Avenue.
“We consistently hear from our community that not only do they value and enjoy our trails, but they want more,” said Paula McDevitt, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Though council members started discussing other social issues these funds could support instead, city controller Jeffrey Underwood said parks bonds cannot be redistributed in this manner.
The council passed the bond 5-3-0.
Council voted 7-1-0 to pass the third bond, which would provide $1.25 million for improvements including landscape enhancements and public art at four to six city entryways. It would also replace 1,400 trees along city streets and improve three downtown alleys.
Rollo advised to view the art and tree improvements as a legacy project that speaks to the community’s cultural identity.
“It goes deeper than just beautification,” Rollo said.
The bonds will go next to the Board of Park Commissioners for final confirmation.
