City Council members heard concerns from residents about the planned Community Health and Wellness Center during a listening session Monday evening, with speakers focusing on accessibility features and neighborhood engagement.

Linda Lang, a registered nurse and longtime Bloomington resident, requested enhanced accessibility features for the new facility, including handicapped parking across the main entrance, automatic door openers and fully accessible women's restrooms. Lang, who recently had hip replacements, emphasized the need for adequate space and lighting in accessible facilities.

Elizabeth Carbonie addressed what she called a lack of neighborhood engagement surrounding the project. Carbonie said city staff promised neighborhood meetings in August 2024 but have not followed through, leaving residents uninformed about construction details and traffic impacts. She said the neighborhood only learned six weeks ago about plans for 400 parking spaces and potential traffic increases to 600 cars daily.

Resident Pam questioned why traffic studies were not completed earlier in the planning process and criticized the planned entrance and exit locations on Newton Avenue. She also expressed concerns that senior programming would be diminished in the shared facility.

Parker, speaking as a member of the disabled community, called for more inclusive design and meaningful community engagement. Parker emphasized the need for sensory-friendly spaces and warned against social isolation in the new facility design.

City staff committed to completing neighborhood engagement meetings and addressing traffic study concerns, with several action items scheduled for completion in the coming weeks.