Agenda Packets - 1995/02/06 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ansi` 1 or€ev . , BLOOMINGTON APAC (City of Bloomington) : APAC stated that it would protect the Park Closing Ordinance first passed in this city in 1989 from any challenges and attempts at weakening it. In the Fall of 1992, it became apparent that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. was attempting to purchase the property to convert it to a retail store. Residents once again packed Planning Commission hearings and City Council Meetings to advocate that no approval of this project be given without clear assurances by Wal-Mart officials and the park owner that all provisions of the ordinance would be complied with. Residents gained those assurances after many public and private meetings. Additionally, APAC leaders called for an interpretation of the ordinance by Bloomington city attorneys to clear up some issues related to moving expenses, home compensation, and personal property moving expenses. The city attorneys returned a favorable interpretation and residents utilized this in sit down negotiations with the park owner's attorneys. Several park meetings were then held in late Spring of 1993 to allow residents of Collins to :understand the park closure process. It was agreed that residents would receive reasonable relocation funds for all costs incurred during the relocation process. An official park closure notice was delivered to Collins Park households on May 21st, 1993. The residents had until February 21st, 1994 to vacate the premises. Most residents moved out between the 3rd and the 6th month of the notice period. Each single wide home received an average of $2369.44 (51 homes) and each double wide home received an average of $3425.38 $3425.38 (39 homes), although some double wides cost as much as $5350! In addition, the ordinance required that each household be compensated for personal property moving expenses (furniture, fragile property, motel expenses) . Resident leaders negotiated an amount of $900 per household. A process was also created for determining which homes could not be relocated, due to age, condition, or lack of available space. Residents in these homes will be compensated for the loss of their homes based on their tax assessed values. Eleven homeowners opted to sell their homes to private buyers and therefore received only the $900 personal property moving expense money. If no Park Closing Ordinance had ever been passed and no efforts to preserve the relocation and compensation amounts had been made, the residents of Collins would have been devastated economically. Based on the final figures for implementing the park closing, Collins residents would have incurred at least $335,431.26 to remove their homes, decks, sheds, and personal property in nine months.