Friday: Final day of Bloomington annexation trial

The trial on the merits of Bloomington’s plan to annex two territories on the west and southwest sides of the city has completed its fourth day. Friday is the final day left on the trial calendar.

It now looks like the trial will be over by the end of the day on Friday.

The proceeding is a judicial review, which was forced by remonstrators, when they achieved the threshold of at least 51 percent of landowner signatures in Area 1A and Area 1B, but fell short of the 65 percent that would have stopped Bloomington’s annexation outright.

By the end of the day on Tuesday, when the pace of testimony from the city’s witnesses appeared to be slower than expected, judge Nathan Nikirk raised the specter of a Saturday session. Continue reading “Friday: Final day of Bloomington annexation trial”

2 rezone requests: U-Haul on Profile Pkwy OK’d, former Worm’s Way land north of town denied

A 12.8-acre property about 12 miles north of Bloomington, that was previously home to the hydroponic business called Worm’s Way, will remain an agriculture/rural reserve (AG/RR) zoning district under Monroe County’s code.

That’s because the three-member board of county commissioners on Wednesday morning, denied the request of property owner Martin Heydt to rezone the land to a pre-existing business (PB) district.

At the same Wednesday meeting, on a 3–0 vote, the commissioners approved a request from U-Haul to rezone about 12 acres west of town on Profile Parkway, from general industrial (GI) to general business (GB), so that a DIY moving truck rental and self-storage facility could be built there.

Monroe county commissioners are: Julie Thomas, Penny Githens, and Lee Jones. Continue reading “2 rezone requests: U-Haul on Profile Pkwy OK’d, former Worm’s Way land north of town denied”