Residents are being encouraged to provide feedback about the Monroe County Urbanizing Area plan on a recently launched county website.
The urbanizing area is a two-mile radius around the city of Bloomington under the county’s planning jurisdiction, and the project seeks to provide guidance for future development and zoning decisions in the designated area.
The new website, https://monroecounty.granicusideas.com/discussions/, includes open and directed forums and surveys to gauge public opinion on various government-related topics and lets users discuss and rate potential projects. It also allows elected officials to respond to public questions and concerns.
Commissioner Julie Thomas said public input is crucial to the development of the Monroe County Urbanizing Area. The response from the public via other avenues for feedback has been positive so far, she said.
The first discussion post, which is live now, has to do with employment, as the urbanizing area plan proposes three employment districts. Some of the feedback being sought includes what amenities residents think make an area a great place to work, what they think the area should look like in terms of employment and what they consider important.
Jackie Nester, a Monroe County planner, said the plan is in its second phase and is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. As part of the public engagement aspect on the website, Nester said, the department hopes to have a new discussion topic posted within the next three weeks with surveys and other questions to gather public feedback on various elements of the urbanizing area plan.
Nester said the company that built the site will work in conjunction with the planning department to keep the public updated with the project and for feedback.
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