John, Isabel, Andy, Tim & Susan

[Higgs, Steven C.]

Dear elected representatives,

I would like to correct the misimpression that “Bryan Park” is against the mayor’s “granny flats” proposal. A few voices on an email list do not comprise a neighborhood, nor do they speak for everyone in ours.

I for one do not see students and renters as a blight that I need to be protected from. To the contrary, both in my classes and on my street, I find them energizing and consider myself fortunate to share space with them.

I also feel that BP homeowners need to have options. The misguided, Republican policies pursued by your plan commission over the past few years have transformed this community from a unique, hip, laid-back town into an expensive playground for the elite. We’re not all lawyers and Kelley school profs, you know?

Please put this Bryan Park voice in the mayor’s column on this one. As long as you’re not promoting more “luxury student housing” and enact necessary controls, I say let’s give it a try.

Thanks for listening.

Steve

P.S. - For neighbors who feel similarly, I cc’d everyone who represents downtown neighborhoods and urge you to let them know. I’ve known them all for decades and can assure you your opinions will be accepted and respected.

***********************

Steven Higgs

Adjunct Lecturer

The Media School

***********************

[Michael McCafferty]

I think you're going to find that there are far more people against this project than for it. It's a horrible idea. And if the mayor wants i, he should start by trying it out in HIS neighborhood, but foisting it on us.

Michael

---

From: brya...@googlegroups.com <brya...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Higgs, Steven C. <shi...@indiana.edu>
Sent: Thursday, July 6, 2017 8:35 AM
To: BPNA
Cc: John Hamilton; sand...@bloomington.in.gov; may...@bloomington.in.gov; Andy Ruff; pied...@bloomington.in.gov; Dave Rollo; vol...@bloomington.in.gov; Chris Sturbaum
Subject: John, Isabel, Andy, Tim & Susan

 

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[Michael McCafferty]

You have no idea of the catastrophe that obliterated the once family-friendly neighborhood north of the public library. Ten years ago we rented there for a year on 12th Street. while looking for a place in BPN. Let me tell, buddy. When I.U. students dominate a neighborhood, forget about getting a good night's rest, forget about leaving anything outside anywhere, forget about your car's nice finish. Forget about your outside basketball goal, as it will be thrown down almost nightly till it's broken. Wait til you're awakened almost every night of the week around 3 a.m. by loud music and drunken students.  I really do not want the BPN to go that direction. 

Michael

---

From: brya...@googlegroups.com <brya...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Higgs, Steven C. <shi...@indiana.edu>
Sent: Thursday, July 6, 2017 8:35 AM
To: BPNA
Cc: John Hamilton; sand...@bloomington.in.gov; may...@bloomington.in.gov; Andy Ruff; pied...@bloomington.in.gov; Dave Rollo; vol...@bloomington.in.gov; Chris Sturbaum
Subject: John, Isabel, Andy, Tim & Susan

 

[Rich Bettler]

I suspect more of us are of both minds on this. Nobody wants their neighborhood to degrade (why, I lie awake at night terrified by the thoughts of roving, drunken students wielding weapons forged of heavy mathematics books – or maybe that’s drunken mathematics books wielding heavy students.  There’s drinking involved, let’s leave it at that). At the same time, I’m certainly uncomfortable with excessive governmental restrictions on what I can or cannot do on my own property. Whereas I don’t expect to be allowed to setup my own little meth-house in the back yard, I do expect that if I can build a shed, home office or even a home for wayward Spanish Nuns as long as it meets building and safety codes. I also expect that I can rent out a room in my house if I need to in order to make my mortgage. Currently all of that is allowed (excepts the Nuns – which is a little harsh if you ask me. I mean, take away their rulers and how much of a threat can they be?)

 

Joking aside, the idea of a granny flat is not so unwanted as all that assuming we do so intelligently. My mother’s home town is moving hard to remove a number of elderly, retirees from their homes so that the city can ‘reclaim’ the city location through a false use of eminent domain to build newer, more expensive housing developments. Moral and legal restraints aside, this would put me in a position to see a very positive end to the idea of a granny flat. The existing restrictions (3 unrelated adults) seem adequate to prevent substantial abuse of the proposal.

[kerry weger]

Dear Representatives

Mr. Higgs does not speak for Bryan Park. He speaks for himself which, of course, he is welcome to do. We are having a serious

discussion about the impacts of the proposed ADU amendment. Many of us are understandably concerned about increased

densities and the benefits, if any, and the potential damage to core neighborhoods due to the possible increase in valuations caused

by rental occupancy demand. This reduces the opportunities for young families and first time home buyers to live in our very nice

neighborhoods. The discussion is ongoing and vibrant as is our neighborhood. We all understand we have an opportunity to present

our respective points of view at the Council meeting when this is discussed. We all appreciate your concern and desire to listen.

We thank you in advance for your consideration.

Kerry Weger

[Jennifer Livesay]

Dear elected representatives,

I am using the template set out so thoughtfully by Steven Higgs to let you know that I disagree with his characterization of the concerns of myself and my neighbors. I live on a block that is a mix of student rentals and family-owner-occupieds. I appreciate the texture that this mix of ages and life-stages brings to the block. I also feel that any greater density of occupation on this street would begin to diminish the quality of life for all of us, students and families, renters and owners.  One of my particular concerns is that if ADUs made our neighborhood more valuable to investment buyers, they would quickly price families of more modest means out of the neighborhood. As it is, Bryan Park is one of the last places with affordable homes near downtown and campus.

Families with children have somewhat different needs than students. They need parking close to their homes for hauling babies and groceries. They need at least a small green space in the yard for the children to play. They need a little bit of quiet at night so their children can sleep. They often will be staying in one place longer, so are interested in buying and building equity.

I love to hear little children playing outside my window. It relaxes me and improves my mood. It would be really sad if families were no longer able to afford to choose living close to the park, campus and downtown. I urge you to move carefully and examine both the intended and unintended consequences that the ADUs could bring.

Thank you.

Jennifer Livesay

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[Higgs, Steven C.]

I thought it was obvious I speak for myself and never presume to speak for anyone else, as all of our elected officials know full well. 

To clarify, I speak only about the BP streets that my dog Zoe and I walked late at night for the 13 years she lived with me, between 1st and Grimes and Lincoln and the park. i was always amazed at the serenity and space in the core of our core neighborhood. I took to stargazing and could literally stop in the middle of any street with a view of the sky and stare as long as I chose and she could sniff as long as she wanted. Z and the deer got on a first-name basis.

We certainly witnessed a lot of parties during our walks. i know there are a couple isolated issues, on Henderson, for example. But loud parties were not the norm, at least not between 10 and midnight. Both my daughters rented in BP before fully flying the nest and I attended more than a few. My student neighbors party a lot. 

I simply do not see how letting someone put a small abode or tiny house on their property for a student, relative or perhaps themselves someday will lead to any of the dire predictions I’ve read on this string. We never walked south of Grimes, but I drive it constantly and couldn’t imagine any more cars on Lincoln or Washington, for example.

Any granny flat should have conditions that limit its ability to become investment properties for absentee landlords. I haven’t dug into the details here, but I assume by definition the landlord must live on the property. If any of my neighbors chose to do this, I’d trust them. I’d welcome it. 

I do share everyone’s concerns about it being done right. I’m not our community leaders’ biggest fan these days. But I do know they listen to the neighborhoods on progressive ideas like this. Please keep talking to them about it.

You can also email the council office, and they will forward your thoughts to the every council member simultaneously.

Steve

***********************

Steven Higgs

Adjunct Lecturer

The Media School

***********************

[Higgs, Steven C.]

Folks,

I promise that this is my last word. But I find it dumfounding and disturbing that, throughout this robust discussion among exceptionally intelligent and informed citizens, that not a single person quoted a single word from the Herald-Times or our public broadcasting stations. They should be the primary source of information on issues like this that really matter to the public. This is important stuff. If they were serving the public interest, we would be discussing what they have reported.

It’s no coincidence that the decline in our democracy has paralleled the decline in our news media. There was a day when the HT, WTTS and WFIU competed with each other to serve the public interest. Citizens knew what was going on, and their elected officials had no choice but to do what was best for them. That was 30 years ago.

Steve

***********************

Steven Higgs

Adjunct Lecturer

The Media School

***********************

On Jul 6, 2017, at 10:23 PM, Andy Ruff <ru...@bloomington.in.gov> wrote:

The Mayor is trying it in his own neighborhood - the proposal includes Elm Heights (Mayor Hamilton's neighborhood and my neighborhood too, where I have been a homeowner for almost 25 years).

Andy Ruff

City Council member at-large

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[James Brosher]

Steve,

Frankly, I find it dumbfounding and disturbing that you are taking shots at local media, especially given your profession. Further, if you would read the newspaper and listen to the radio you'd notice a plethora of stories about this issue just in the past month:

– https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/bloomington-council-delays-vote-granny-flats-122565/

– http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/city-council-oks-pocket-neighborhoods-delays-vote-on-granny-flats/article_abf696a9-457f-5382-8c44-9144b27bf0ae.html

– http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/council-weighs-impact-of-allowing-granny-flats-as-additional-housing/article_b2976d65-52bc-588e-98fe-b133c931f6c1.html

– http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/bloomington-city-council-to-hear-options-for-boosting-affordable-housing/article_b76b9284-8f1c-5f2d-a92a-a7809cb2a04b.html

– http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/affordable-housing-complex-alternative-housing-styles-ok-d/article_4b5da2ab-a470-55d6-9202-4ec4a60b1e0d.html

– http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/affordable-housing-complex-zoning-for-alternative-housing-styles-ok-d/article_2866e432-4fef-11e7-82f8-cf509061d9c0.html

This includes two editorials in the H-T:

– http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/opinion/accessory-dwelling-units-offer-more-positives-than-potential-negatives/article_50951a2a-3523-5a2e-814f-01622bd07cb0.html

– http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/opinion/inching-forward-on-affordable-housing/article_9bcb9d9a-8d1b-5490-9b10-b83091c6affe.html

These are all articles that I found in less than three minutes. If we step outside of Bryan Park, it's worth noting there are other very, very important stories here in town that these outlets are also covering this summer:

– Homelessness on Kirkwood

– Interstate 69

– Bloomington annexation

– Drug addiction/overdoses downtown

– MCCSC lunch programs

And those are just stories here in town. As you know, WFIU/WTIU also covers the entire state and are one of the few outlets left that devotes full-time coverage to the Statehouse.

I'm definitely biased as a former member of the media, but to blame the decline in democracy on the media is ridiculous. Here in Bloomington, they're attending the meetings and writing the stories. You can't fault them if people aren't taking the time to read them. In a healthy democratic society, it's also the responsibility of the citizens to take the basic initiative to stay informed.

Best,

-James

--

James Brosher // Photographer
Bloomington, Indiana
765-744-0865
www.brosher.com
@jamesbrosher

[Higgs, Steven C.]

James - I would be glad to make my case off-list. I’m sure few here would be interested. 

It starts with the 1971 Powell Memo, written by a soon to be Supreme Court justice to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, advising that Corporate America owns the news media and needed to get it under control. It ends with the latest data I share with students on public confidence in the news media, which each year drops to record lows. 

Less than 1 in 4 Americans have any confidence in newspapers. The numbers are like 20% for broadcast and 15 or 18 for the Internet. Gallup or Knight is the source. They’ve been asking for decades.

If no one is reading and no one trusts them anyway, how are they serving our democracy?

I know the history of WFIU. Losing them was a serious news source was a blow to our community’s civic life.

I should add that even tho it is staffed by volunteers, WFHB’s public affairs programming is the best media in town. They report news in the public interest, not news that sells. They also win a lot of awards for the excellent work they do. A lot.

Steve

***********************

Steven Higgs

Adjunct Lecturer

The Media School

***********************

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[Julie Duhon]

Hi All,

Might I suggest the horse is dead and thoroughly beaten?  I’d like to argue about deer in yards or cat bibs and the plight of song birds for a day or two.  I just… need a break.

Love my engaged neighbors, it just… sometimes… needs a rest.  Write some letters to the editors if you feel moved to keep going with this topic.  And please, if you agree with me, please show it by NOT replying all to this message.

Thanks all!

Julie

[Michael McCafferty]

http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2017/07/07/indianas-most-expensive-city-isnt-indys-north-side/458481001/

---

From: Susan Sandberg <sand...@bloomington.in.gov>
Sent: Friday, July 7, 2017 10:26 AM
To: Andy Ruff
Cc: Michael McCafferty; BPNA; shi...@indiana.edu; John Hamilton; may...@bloomington.in.gov; pied...@bloomington.in.gov; Dave Rollo; Chris Sturbaum
Subject: Re: John, Isabel, Andy, Tim & Susan

 

With respect to all points of view, local legislation can be made to address all concerns if we look for the common points of agreement and work through the legitimate neighborhood concerns.  I don't know of a single Bloomingtonian who doesn't agree with me that affordable housing is a serious need in our fair city.  We've been kicking the can down the road for some time now, and leadership requires us to take a long hard look at that, examine the data, and attempt to move forward into concrete, sustainable solutions.  Time is ticking away, and our affordable housing needs are growing with each year that we don't act in good faith, with all courage and with all consideration of the consequences.  I firmly believe that negative consequences can be addressed through careful regulations that prevent landlord abuses and neighborhood disruptions that none of us want either.  That's what I'll be looking at and working toward - reasonable measures to improve affordability in rents, home ownership, and private sector partnerships.  However, this councilmember wants to move out of just talking about affordable housing needs and move into positive action to increase the housing stock in Bloomington that average Bloomington salaries can comfortably afford.  Let's keep working at this, the win-win is out there!

Susan

On Thu, Jul 6, 2017 at 10:23 PM, Andy Ruff <ru...@bloomington.in.gov> wrote:

The Mayor is trying it in his own neighborhood - the proposal includes Elm Heights (Mayor Hamilton's neighborhood and my neighborhood too, where I have been a homeowner for almost 25 years).

Andy Ruff

City Council member at-large

On Thu, Jul 6, 2017 at 9:35 AM, Michael McCafferty <ar...@hotmail.com> wrote:

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[Jim Gronquist]

Susan,

I admire your passion and completely agree with the sentiment that something needs to occur so that individuals, couples and families of all income levels can afford housing. 

Considering the ADU proposal:
1.  How many individuals, couples and small families, who currently fall into a range that is considered low income, are projected to benefit from the resulting small accessory dwelling units? 
2. Given that these units will be small and still likely command rent of $400/mth or more (very likely quite a bit higher), wouldn't person(s) on a budget opt for larger and cheaper options that are available relatively close by?
3. Students with student loans will pay much higher rates to live in an ADU relatively close to campus and still save $ relative to the dorms.   
4. Housing prices in Elm Heights and BP are rising rather rapidly. ADUs will artificially accelerate the price increase. This is the exact opposite of the goal of affordable housing.

It isn't at all clear to me how ADUs address affordable housing.

Best,

Jim


  

 

[Michael McCafferty]

I believe Jim Gronquist expresses questions that I've recently had, so you can refer to his most recent post. I'm sorry that council members and the mayor came in on the BPN discussion rather late. As a kid I lived north of campus, in the 70s. It was a pleasant mix of family-occupied dwellings and student rentals. Before buying a house in the BPN, we had to rent for year, and I chose that same neighbor, as I had fond memories of it. What we found, unfortunately, is that it had changed completely to being a student rental ghetto. It was an utter nightmare from day one until the day we moved out. Vandalism to our car, our basketball goal, our flower beds, unimaginable noise problems at utterly unimaginable hours of the night, and threats from people who didn't like being told they were too loud. That neighborhood, which in the past I naturally saw as a twin to the BPN, is now ruined as far I'm concerned. It's a pit. It's painful going through there realizing what a really nice neighborhood it used to be. Raising population density in the BPN by making "granny flats" available is simply inviting the demographic to change in the BPN. I saw what happened north of campus; I'd hate to that happen here south of campus.

Michael

---

From: Andy Ruff <ru...@bloomington.in.gov>
Sent: Saturday, July 8, 2017 1:12 PM
To: Michael McCafferty
Cc: Susan Sandberg; BPNA; shi...@indiana.edu; John Hamilton; may...@bloomington.in.gov; pied...@bloomington.in.gov; Dave Rollo; Chris Sturbaum

Subject: Re: John, Isabel, Andy, Tim & Susan

 

and from your way of thinking this is an argument in support of or against the ADU pilot program proposal?

[Keese, Brian W]

I'm curious. Who knows what happened that caused the north of campus neighborhood to become a rental ghetto? We know that it wasn't ADUs.

-Brian

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

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[Antonia Matthew]

Thank you, Susan and Andy for listening to us  and joining in the discussion.

I think that Jim's questions about the cost of ADU's are valid ones and need to be thought about carefully.

I realize that the council will put in careful regulations, but will they be enforced?  I can think of ordinances - such at no skateboards on Kirkwood (allowed on 4th and 6th streets) which I have never seen enforced.    I think it that it's necessary to be realistic.  Will the city really have the people power to check up on the use of the ADU's?

Tonia

[Michael McCafferty]

I don't know, Brian, if anyone has researched your question. But I can tell what I saw. The younger home owners moved on to bigger places; the older ones died off, and the homes were sold by the younger owners and the inheritors to landlords who of course are attracted to that area because of its proximity to campus. The last woman I knew who lived in that neighborhood died a couple of years ago. The family sold it to a landlord. I can go down any street up there and show you formerly owner-occupied houses one after another. What I miss in the case of this last person is her stunning grove of pawpaw trees,  the best one I've seen in town, whose fruit she didn't like, so she always gave them to us, over many years. This year the landlord cut them all down. Probably thought they were weeds. What resulted was a ugly wasteland of an alley, where before there was shade...and fruit. Indeed, I can't think of one case up there--and I know the neighborhood really well--where owner-occupied houses didn't go from gardens to barren landscape, for obvious reasons.

Best,

Michael

---

From: Keese, Brian W <bke...@indiana.edu>
Sent: Saturday, July 8, 2017 2:56 PM
To: ar...@hotmail.com; Andy Ruff
Cc: Susan Sandberg; BPNA; Higgs, Steven C.; John Hamilton; may...@bloomington.in.gov; pied...@bloomington.in.gov; Dave Rollo; Chris Sturbaum

[Jan Sorby]

Hi,

I work with Bloomington Restoration Inc (BRI) on our affordable housing program. 

Our houses are for sale rather than for rent and here are our (and HUD) guidelines for what "affordable" housing means:

Buyers of houses in the BRI Affordable Housing Program must make less than 80 percent of the county’s median income. Those annual income limits, by household size, are: one person, $36,750; two people, $42,000; three people, $47,250; four people, $52,500. 

In addition, our buyers must be able to qualify for a bank loan. On the other hand, Habitat for Humanity is self funding (they have lots more money than BRI) so their buyers don't need to meet the same credit scrutiny as BRI's buyers.

Together, BRI and Habitat cover a variety of "affordable" ranges for people in different financial situations.

Hope this helps.

Jan

Sent from my iPhone