A vacant lot at 2005 W. Cory Drive on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, that was part of a recent voluntary annexation approved by the Bloomington City Council. Staff photo by Rich Janzaruk
Key Points:AI-assisted summary
- Bloomington's City Council approved the annexation of a small lot, highlighting larger disputes over housing and growth.
- The property owner sought annexation to access city sewer services required for building a duplex.
- This small annexation is part of a larger, ongoing legal battle between the city and state over broader annexation plans.
- Council members who approved the measure felt legally obligated, while opponents cited concerns about flooding and ongoing litigation.
Bloomington’s borders grew through annexation in December — but the expansion reveals deeper battles over housing, infrastructure, and who controls growth.
The Bloomington City Council in December, through voluntary annexation, added an undeveloped lot on Cory Drive, on the city’s west side.
The annexation deals with only a small piece of property — 0.39 acres — but it sits at the crossroads of major policy debates: housing density, infrastructure access, and the limits of local control. With litigation pending before the Indiana Supreme Court and a state law under challenge, the council’s decision may hint at how Bloomington will have to grow in the future — lot by lot — if the city doesn’t prevail in annexation-related court cases.
Annexation vote highlights housing and sewer policy challenges
The property owner, a limited liability company named Kanyison, wants to build a duplex, but city sewer access is essential — and Bloomington stopped extending service to unincorporated areas after annexation litigation began. That policy forces county landowners to seek annexation before they can develop.
While the council weighed legal and policy implications, nearby residents focused on immediate worries: flooding and erosion.
© 2026 HeraldTimesOnline, Bloomington, IN