Tag: Lower Cascades Park

Bloomington historic commission mulls designation for Lower Cascades, could affect decision on road

Overview of city of Bloomington. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=138_hMLEqiMqOjCLhU2cIzQsC45DGuzU&usp=sharing
The area outlined in green, which is part of Lower Cascades Park, is proposed for historic designation.

Bloomington’s Lower Cascades Park, which is located north SR 45/46 along a part of Old State Road 37, could be designated as a historic district.

At its Thursday meeting, the city’s historic preservation commission (HPC) got its initial briefing from program manager Gloria Colom Braña on a possible designation for Lower Cascades.

Colom Braña’s report supports a recommendation by the commission to designate the park as a historic district. A vote by the HPC could be taken at its next regular meeting, which is set for Dec. 14.

But on Thursday night, the only action taken by the HPC was to set a public hearing for Dec. 14—on a recommendation that Lower Cascades Park be declared a historic district.

The sentiment among HPC members was uniformly in support of historic designation for the park. Matthew Seddon put it like this: “We don’t need to talk about this anymore. We’re good to go. I think this one is a no-brainer.” Continue reading “Bloomington historic commission mulls designation for Lower Cascades, could affect decision on road” →

Tent policy for Bloomington public parks to be considered by board at Aug. 16 special meeting

Seminary Park through the (C)olumn sculpture at 2nd and Walnut streets, created in 2015 by artists: Jiangmei Wu and Jon Racek. (Aug. 13, 2023)
Seminary Park from Walnut Street. (Aug. 13, 2023)
Seminary Park from the northeast intersection of 2nd and Walnut streets. (Aug. 13, 2023)

A special meeting has appeared on the calendar for Bloomington’s board of park commissioners. It is set for 4 p.m. this coming Wednesday (Aug. 16) in city council chambers.

As of Sunday afternoon, no agenda for the special meeting had been posted. [Added Aug. 14, 2023: The agenda and meeting packet have been posted. Here’s a link: Aug. 16, 2023 board of park commissioners special meeting packet.]

But based on the agenda for a July 27 board work session, Wednesday’s special meeting will focus on a new policy that addresses the use of tents and other enclosed structures in Bloomington’s public parks during the day. Continue reading “Tent policy for Bloomington public parks to be considered by board at Aug. 16 special meeting” →

Lower Cascades road options to be heard by Bloomington city council

Lower Cascades meeting (July 22, 2023)
Lower Cascades meeting (July 22, 2023)
Isabel Piedmont-Smith Lower Cascades meeting (July 22, 2023)
Carole Canfield, Lower Cascades meeting (July 22, 2023)
Al Carpenter Lower Cascades meeting (July 22, 2023)
Larry Allen, Lower Cascades meeting (July 22, 2023)
Extract from Bloomington Transportation Plan.
Locator map for proposed road closure.
Section of road proposed for closure. It stopped short of the underpass, and did not extend to College Avenue.

On the north side of Bloomington, there’s currently no dedicated non-motorized pathway between Miller-Showers Park, up the Old SR 37 highway through Lower Cascades Park up to Cascades Park.

On Wednesday (July 26), Bloomington’s city council will get a presentation from planning and transportation director Scott Robinson with four possible approaches to address that situation.

No vote on any proposal appears on Wednesday’s agenda.

The four options are sketched out in a memo from Robinson to the council.

One of them is labeled the “no-build” option, which means that cyclists would share the roadway with cars the way they do now, and pedestrians would walk in the road or else beside the road, where there is no improved surface.

The other three options are: closing the road to automobile traffic and dedicating the existing roadway just for non-motorized use; constructing a non-motorized path that is separate from the roadway; or converting the road to one-lane only for automobile traffic and the other lane for non-motorized traffic

On Saturday in Lower Cascades Park the “no build” option was the overwhelmingly preferred approach for the crowd of around 85 people who had gathered in the Waterfall Shelter to express their views. Continue reading “Lower Cascades road options to be heard by Bloomington city council” →

Photos: Birds in Bloomington parks (April 10, 2022)

Mallard.
Canada geese.
Maybe a great blue heron.

Miller-Showers Park, which is on the north side of town nestled between College Avenue and Walnut Streets, is a favorite spot for The B Square to visit on a pleasant weekend afternoon.

Around 2 p.m. on Sunday the temperature was about 60 F degrees with mostly clear skies.

Resting on the retaining wall of the lower (northernmost) pool of the park was a mallard. The duck un-burrowed its head from its feathers just long enough to be photographed.

Unnoticed by The B Square at the time was the photobombing of the mallard by a great blue heron, which was wading in the waters to the east of the lower pool. A pair of Canada geese floated not far away. Continue reading “Photos: Birds in Bloomington parks (April 10, 2022)” →

Bloomington’s Lower Cascades Road to reopen after pilot closure, but “not anytime soon”

Section of road proposed for closure. It stopped short of the underpass, and did not extend to College Avenue.
Section of road proposed for closure. It stopped short of the underpass, and did not extend to College Avenue.
Section of trail proposed to city council in Oct. 31, 2018 bond proposal. It goes south all the way to College Avenue.
Section of trail proposed to city council in Oct. 31, 2018 bond proposal. It goes south all the way to College Avenue.
Locator map for proposed road closure.
Locator map for proposed road closure.

Late Tuesday afternoon, a Bloomington city staff recommendation to permanently reopen the road through Lower Cascades Park was delivered to the four-member board of park commissioners.

That was followed by an update to the three-member board of public works from public works director Adam Wason, about the parks staff recommendation to re-open the road.

That meant board of public works members did not have to vote on the question of a road closure.

Still, Wason told them the road could not be opened “anytime soon.” For one thing, the road sustained substantial damage as a result of weekend’s heavy rains, which caused flooding in several places.

For another thing, it will take some time to design and construct the kind of traffic calming measures that are being recommended—to try to make the road safer for people bicycling and walking along the park road. Continue reading “Bloomington’s Lower Cascades Road to reopen after pilot closure, but “not anytime soon”” →

$1.8 million OK’d for Lower Cascade paths, with road closure decision on horizon

The orange sections pictured are paved multi-use path/sidewalk and/or boardwalk (an accessible boardwalk goes off the top of the image to the waterfall.
The orange sections pictured are paved multi-use path/sidewalk and/or boardwalk (an accessible boardwalk goes off the top of the image to the waterfall.
Locator map for proposed road closure.
Locator map for proposed road closure.
Section of road proposed for closure. It stopped short of the underpass, and did not extend to College Avenue.
Section of road proposed for closure. It stopped short of the underpass, and did not extend to College Avenue.

At its regular Monday meeting, Bloomington’s redevelopment commission approved a $1.8-million contract with Scenic Construction Services, Inc. for work in Lower Cascades Park on the city’s north side.

The project calls for construction of a quarter mile of paved trail from the Sycamore Shelter on the north end of the park to the waterfall parking lot, a new ADA-accessible boardwalk up to the waterfall, and stabilization of 430 feet of streambank.

The work is expected to start in early July, according to Bloomington parks operations director Tim Street. Street filled the position when Dave Williams retired.

Street told The Square Beacon that the hoped-for timing is after the Fourth of July weekend.

The project is being funded from a mix of tax increment finance (TIF) revenue, “bicentennial” bonds,  and 2016 parks general obligation bonds, according to the RDC resolution approved on Monday.

The current pilot closure of the road through Lower Cascades Park is related geographically to the trail construction and streambank stabilization. On June 22, the three-member board of public works is expected to take a vote on a permanent road closure.

According to the city, the conversion of the road to a route just for bicycles and pedestrians is intended to: “expand and integrate with Bloomington’s network of walking and biking trails; provide a safe, accessible destination for recreation and exercise; and to offer bicycle commuters additional options for safer routes.”

Accessibility issues related to the possible road closure also got some discussion from RDC members on Monday.

The road closure affects the distance someone would have to cover without a motor vehicle to reach the Waterfall Shelter from the nearest parking spot. Continue reading “$1.8 million OK’d for Lower Cascade paths, with road closure decision on horizon” →

Trial closure for Lower Cascades road starts this Friday

Lower Cascades Park, March 8, 2020.
Map of road segment to be closed.
Lower Cascades Park, March 8, 2020.
Lower Cascades Park, March 8, 2020.

Starting this Friday, about 500 motorists a day in each direction, will need to find a different route through Bloomington’s Lower Cascades Park.

The section of Old 37 Highway, which used to be the only way to get into Bloomington, will be closed to motorized traffic inside the park. The southern closure point is at the Irving Materials, Inc. (IMI) driveway, just north of the underpass at State Road 45/46. The northern closure point is at the the parking lot across the road from the playground.

The pilot program, which is supposed to end Sept. 30, was approved by Bloomington’s three-member board of public works at its regular meeting a week ago.

The idea is to close the 0.6-mile segment of road “to expand and integrate with Bloomington’s network of walking and biking trails; provide a safe, accessible destination for recreation and exercise; and to offer bicycle commuters additional options for safer routes.” Continue reading “Trial closure for Lower Cascades road starts this Friday” →