Ellettsville has big plans for development. What does this mean for residents?

Ellettsville is trying to shake its reputation as the town down the road from Bloomington through a new plan to increase its population, expand its borders and improve quality of life.

"People are driving through Ellettsville right now as it's just a means to get to somewhere else," Envision Ellettsville Co-Chair Christa Curtis said. "We want to give them a reason to stop."

People shouldn't assume Ellettsville is just like Bloomington or the rest of Monroe County said William Ellis, town council president and plan committee member. The town has a different set of values and different policies, like more freedom with land usage, he said.

If the plan is carried out as drafted, new developments intend to make the city less reliant on Bloomington and create more opportunities for residents to gather and shop within their town limits.

The Envision Ellettsville Vision Plan focuses on improving four areas. It would increase housing in northern residential areas, revitalize downtown and prioritize commercial and industrial development in the northwest and southeast parts of town along Ind. 46. In each area of focus, the committee outlined goals, including consistent branding, increased pedestrian transportation and storm water management.

How will this affect my neighborhood?

The plan calls for building new residential units surrounding already existing subdivisions and incorporating multiple types of housing, including single- and multi-family homes. Many of these empty plots sit north of the current town limits, meaning annexation may be in the future.

The word "annexation" might ping fear after Bloomington's recent unpopular annexation efforts, but Ellis said Ellettsville is showing the rest of the state that it doesn't have to be forceful.

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"We're going to make it worth your while to be in our town," Ellis said. "You have to offer a good product, and Ellettsville sells a great product."

These annexations are not a land grab, but rather meant to incorporate more people into the town to use its services and expand its tax base, said Ron L. Taylor, a principal at Taylor Siefker Williams design group.

Annexation should take place before new construction begins, according to the plan.

Regarding increasing pedestrian transportation, Ellis said building that infrastructure and maintaining it is costly. Therefore, he said the town is prioritizing sidewalks and trails close to the school system and the Monroe County trails.

The plan prioritizes marketing the town through a consistent aesthetic, such as welcoming and informational signs. These updates include corridor wayfinding signs and environmental education boards.

What will this do for local business?

Ellis, a business owner, said he and others feel optimistic about new development. A goal of the plan is to attract both more local businesses as well as big-box retailers, especially to the newly proposed business park on the northwest side.

"If I want to go to a major store to do shopping, I've got to go to Bloomington or some other place," Ellis said. "Most people prefer to shop close to home, so we want to provide that for them."

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Downtown is reimagined to both bolster its historic value and serve as a hub for more economic development. This area aims to be where the east and west sides of town come together. Therefore, transportation is proposed to be improved through trails, sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly intersections. New gathering spaces could be established in multiple places but especially downtown with plaza space, a festival lawn and waterfront boardwalks.

With new business comes new jobs. Donna Niese, Ellettsville Chamber of Commerce president and plan committee member, said the plan aims to create an environment where businesses of all sizes can thrive and grow.

"The plan includes making Ellettsville a more vibrant community that draws people to want to live, work and play here," she said. "Job creation is a very important part of that."

Through all parts of this plan, Taylor said new jobs can be possible through construction and other development as well as new industry and commercial jobs.

What is it going to cost?

Ellis said one avenue for making the vision a reality is through grants, which would lower the need for taxes. He said there are other avenues to pay for such changes, but some increases may be inevitable. However, with new planned additions to the tax base, Ellis said taxpayers should see lower costs in the long run.

"If we ever ask them for more, we want them to understand why and where it's actually going," Ellis said. "We want to give them value for what they're paying."

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Tax abatements and establishment of a tax incremental financing district, which would help fund transportation and utility improvements, are examples of financial tools the town could use to entice developers. However, Ellis said he isn't supportive of these options because it may not be as beneficial for property owners.

Can I still leave feedback?

The full plan was released Tuesday evening at the Ellettsville Town Hall through a community celebration, so residents could learn how their input translated into the town's future.

The entire plan can be viewed here.

Resident feedback was collected at multiple points during the project's formation, such as focus groups, a steering committee and online surveys. The amount of feedback surprised Ellis.

The ability to collect so much community input came from the a community impact grant from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County. This allowed the committee to hire the Taylor Siefker Williams design group.

The committee is now organizing residents into task forces to begin planning implementation. Curtis said committee members want to continue incorporating the community in this process, so they can see how the promises of the plan are acknowledged and implemented.

"We locked arms with the community to get to this point," Curtis said. "So we don't have any plans not to continue forward without being in lockstep with the rest of the community."

When will I see these changes?

Taylor said there are multiple smaller projects within this plan and each step will need more detailed planning.

"This is probably a very long term initiative," he said. "But, lots of little steps make a lot of progress quick."

Going forward, Ellis said the town council will have to hit reset and implement the new plan through zoning changes and coordinating with other long-term plans. That will take time, and Ellis said the council will need it when figuring out how to implement this new set of ideals.

Residents should expect to see movement on these plans within the next one to five years, Ellis said, and the overall vision in 20 to 30 years.

"Honestly, this needed to start yesterday."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Envision Ellettsville Vision: Development project adds hope for future