Plans for a new winery north of Bloomington will not move forward now that the Monroe County commissioners have rejected the proposal.
The commissioners on Wednesday heard the request to rezone more than 19 acres of land near North Kinser Pike and West Bell Road. Several residents of the area said they oppose the plans.
Commissioner Penny Githens supported the request but Lee Jones and Julie Thomas both rejected it, saying they agreed with the residents who do not want the area to change.
Jana Hasty, who said she has lived on Bell Road for 37 years, spoke against the plans. She said a winery would change the area and be disruptive to residents.
“The goals of the homeowners and the goals of the winery will be in direct conflict from the moment it is built,” she said. “If we wanted to live in a busy commercial area, we would have purchased our homes in one. This is not only about homeowners; this is about the importance of preserving rural spaces that are increasingly diminishing in our county.”
Paul Green also said he wanted to preserve the area’s rural character.
Read more: Bloomington soccer club asks for more fields
“We want to keep that area as a farming community, and we very well like the area the way it is,” he said. “We would really like to keep that community quiet.”
Green also said he was worried the winery would expand over time.
The petitioner, Tim Rolfson, said he would commit to limiting the types of events that would be held at the winery to address some of the neighbors’ concerns. Despite that and positive recommendations from the county’s planning department and plan commission, the commissioners were not persuaded.
Read more: Bloomington mayoral candidates diverge on labor issues
“I know you’ve worked really hard with the residents, and I really appreciate the effort you’ve made, but these residents have been there for too long,” Jones told Rolfson before voting. “I’m afraid I cannot support this.”
Thomas felt similarly. She said many residents have lived in that area for generations.
“It’s nice to have new ideas and new plans and new concepts, but I go with the residents on this,” she said. “Maybe there’s somewhere else in the community that would serve this kind of function better.”
