Local Government

$22K in neighborhood grants awarded by Bloomington

Images are (left to right) from the applications of the Blue Ridge, Bentley Court, and Prospect Hill neighborhood associations, respectively.

A little under $22,000 in neighborhood improvement grants was approved by Bloomington's redevelopment commission (RDC) at its regular meeting on Monday.

The annual grants allow for $30,000 in funding to be allocated, but this year the three neighborhoods that asked for grant funding made applications that totalled only $21,995. Under the program guidelines, the applicants have to match the city's funding at a minimum of 10%.

Here's a breakdown of the three projects that received grant awards this year:

Bentley Court ($9,067 grant with $1,306.70 match): To establish a native plant wildlife corridor along Winslow Road to support biodiversity, with bird boxes and educational signage, as the first phase of a three-year project.

Blue Ridge ($2,928 grant with $326 match): To add the words "Blue Ridge" to the neighborhood's wrought iron entrance gate.

Prospect Hill ($10,000 grant with $2,300 match): To hire professionals to restore headstones in Rose Hill Cemetery and to host five public workshops on restoration techniques.

Prospect Hill is south of Kirkwood Avenue, west of Morton Street. Bentley Court is on the southeast side of town near Winslow Road and Jackson Creek Trail. And Blue Ridge is on the north side of Bloomington, west of Griffy Lake and east of Walnut Street.

The item was presented to the RDC at Monday's meeting by the program manager for the Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) department, Angela Van Rooy. The grant award process includes a committee review. Van Rooy told RDC members that this year's committee was composed of: Deborah Myerson (RDC), Maryanne Dorsey (Park Ridge East Neighborhood Association). Tom Payne (Near West Side Neighborhood Association), Cassie Werne (Department of Public Works), and Maria McCormick (Department of Engineering).

Myerson said at Monday's meeting, "It's a terrific program, and I really appreciate the opportunity to participate on the committee." She added, "[I] just really admire the neighborhoods that have brought forth these projects to improve their community."

Noting that not all of the $30,000 was spent this year, Van Rooy said that this would allow adding a third neighborhood clean up. The cleanup for Waterman has already taken place. The cleanup for Sherwood Oaks is set for May 31, with the event for Bryan Park scheduled for October, Van Rooy said.

Van Rooy also told the RDC that this year some of the unused money will be reallocated towards a trailer that will be available filled with all the equipment and supplies needed to hold a block party, or a neighborhood pop up event.

Commenting on the Prospect Hill neighborhood project was RDC member Randy Cassady who said the restoration of those headstones in the Rose Hill Cemetery helped maintain the history of the community as a whole. He recalled walking through the cemetery as a young man with his mother. Cassady pointed out that Hoagy Carmichael is buried at Rose Hill.

The graves in Rose Hill Cemetery that are not marked are the focus of an Indiana Daily Student project called "Indignity in Death," which highlights the many unmarked graves of Black Bloomington residents. The IDS piece notes that many of the unmarked graves are in the southeast corner of the cemetery. In the map of the Prospect Hill project, there is activity in the southeast corner described as "Graveyard Groomer."