Residents rally against plan to restrict driver access to Lower Cascades road

By Lucas González, WFIU/WTIU News

Members of the public gathered Saturday at Lower Cascades Park to rally against Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton’s plan to restrict driver access to part of Old State Road 37.

The road, which runs through Lower Cascades, is how many residents say they get to the park and navigate through town during major sporting events.

Many people, including David Bowden, are concerned Hamilton’s plan would impede handicapped and elderly residents’ ability to access the park.

“We plead with Mayor Hamilton to consider the fact that it's not going to benefit a lot of people to close it, and it's going to hurt a lot of us,” Bowden said. “And we're going to really be frustrated.”

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Hamilton wants to convert a roughly half-mile stretch of the road to a biker-pedestrian trail as part of a plan to establish a path connecting the city’s major parks.

Resident Jami Scholl and others said the city is not listening to those who want the road open and is giving preferential treatment to bicyclists.

“The townies – those who grew up here, like myself – often feel they're ignored, and those I've talked to do not want the road closed,” Scholl said.

Hamilton’s plan goes against a recommendation to keep the road open. That followed a community survey and pilot study on closing the road.

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Residents’ concerns extend beyond driver access. Some also fear a partial closure would impede first responders’ ability to get to emergencies on time.

Some want to preserve the park as a historic landmark.

Lower Cascades is Bloomington’s oldest park.

Not everyone in attendance supported leaving the road open. One of the most prominent dissenting voices was that of Greg Alexander, a member of the city’s traffic commission.

“My kids have actually come to this park a lot less than they could because we met this barrier of about a mile roadway that's not a safe place to walk,” Alexander said.

The meeting got contentious when Alexander and city council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith spoke in support of Hamilton’s plan.

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Piedmont-Smith clarified Hamilton’s proposal is to close only part of the road, not to entirely remove driver access. As she was at the mic, some attendees interrupted and spoke over her.

“Anything else I would say wouldn’t get through,” Piedmont-Smith said amid the discord. “I’m looking out here and I see pitchforks.”

Larry Allen, the city's soon-to-be deputy mayor, and city council members Sue Sgambelluri and Susan Sandberg were present. Sgambelluri represents the district that includes Lower Cascades.

The meeting came a few days before the city council is set to hear a report on the mayor’s plans. That will take place at the council’s meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

To date, Hamilton has not submitted a formal proposal for closing the road to city council.

The mayor's office has said it welcomes resident involvement and encourages discussions at city council meetings.

This story will be updated.