Despite the cheerful name, "Hoops and Harmony in the Neighborhood" isn't a pickup game with the police. It's a placement rule. The city said basketball poles, backboards and related equipment can't sit in public right-of-way areas, including streets, boulevards and sidewalks. City code bars them there, and the city said they can be a real safety problem.
The notice went out August 5 in the Bloomington Police Department's online briefing. It opens on a friendly note: the city said a hoop can turn any driveway into a neighborhood gathering spot, "but before you set up for the next big game, make sure your hoop is in the right place." The ban covers portable hoops as well as permanent ones.
The city classifies a hoop in these areas as a public nuisance and is asking property owners who have one in the right-of-way to remove it. Before putting up a new hoop, residents should check that it meets the required setback standards and sits on private property. The strip of land the city controls along the road is off limits, even when it looks like part of the front yard.
If you're not sure where your property line ends and the right-of-way begins, call Bloomington Engineering at 952-563-4870 before you pour concrete for a pole.
