Zoning Ordinance Update Project

The City of Bloomington is engaged in a multiyear effort to update its Zoning Ordinance and related City Code provisions. The current Zoning Ordinance was largely written in the 1950s and has, until recently, never been comprehensively updated. The overall project is divided into many smaller subprojects.  Each year, the City completes several subprojects.  As the update occurs, text is transitioned from Chapter 19 to Chapter 21 of the City Code.

The following projects are underway at this time:

Additional Wall Signage in Lieu of Freestanding Sign for Tall Buildings

The adopted amendment was a privately initiated code amendment. The adopted ordinance allows an additional wall sign near the entrance of a building 7 stories or more in lieu of the permitted free standing sign. The same size limits are applicable.

Public hearing dates:

Thursday, April 9, 2020, 6:00 p.m. (Planning Commission recommended approval)

Monday, May 4, 2020, 7:00 p.m. (Council adopted the ordinance)

The adopted ordinance can be found here:

PDF icon Sign Code Amendment for Tall Buildings Final for 05-04-2020.pdf

Bluff Standards update

Updates to the Bluff Protection (BP-1) and Bluff Development (BP-2) Overlay Zoning Districts are being considered in order to address the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District's steep slope standard.

For more information, visit the project page:  blm.mn/bluffupdate

An upcoming Public Hearing before the City Council is scheduled on June 1st.  To receive notifications, submit your email in the E-Subscribe box in the right column.

Public Hearings were held:

  • February 11 - Sustainability Commission recommended approval
  • February 20 - Planning Commission recommended approval

To be directed to the Bluff Standards Update webpage, please click here.

Food Truck Standards

At its May 18, 2020 public hearing, the City Council decided to continue indefinitely an ordinance addressing standards for food trucks.  Staff anticipates this item to be addressed once food service establishment operations begin to return to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic.  To receive notifications about upcoming meeting agendas, submit your email in the E-Subscribe box in the right column.  

Potential changes include:

  • A new food truck license
  • New standards to allow food trucks to operate outside of special events (with permission of the property owner)

Click here for case file information. 

Below are materials from the May 18th CIty Council meeting.

Restaurant Standards

Restaurant standards were adopted at the February 24th City Council meeting.

Changes include:

  • New standards to allow restaurants as permitted uses in certain zoning districts
  • Reduced building size requirements for restaurants in certain zoning districts

Click here for case file information.

Recreational Vehicle Ordinance update

The adopted ordinance:

  1. Changed the amount of time an RV can be on a driveway, not otherwise in compliance with the ordinance, for the purposes of loading and unloading from 48 hours to 72 hours per seven day period.
  2. Allows RV storage in areas where RV storage currently is not allowed.  RVs are allowed to be stored on driveways more than eight feet in front of a dwelling wall plane facing a street subject to standards (such as height, length, preserving off-street parking, and seasonal limitations).

The adopted ordinance is available for review here:

Ordinance adopted by Council 5/4/20

Public Hearing Dates:

  • Planning Commission – 3/5/20 at 6:00 p.m. (Planning Commission recommended approval)
  • City Council – 5/4/20 at 7:00 p.m. (Council adopted ordinance)

Please direct comments and questions to Glen Markegard at (952) 563-8923 or gmarkegard@bloomingtonmn.gov .

Taprooms and Cocktail Rooms update

On May 4th, the City Council adopted an ordinance amending the zoning code to allow taprooms, cocktail rooms, and related uses in some commercial zoning districts.  A separate ordinance was recently adopted on February 24, 2020 to amend the licensing code to allow these uses.  More information about the licensing updates are found here:  blm.mn/proposed-code-amendment-alcoholic-beverage-control-2019-09-24. 

Information about the zoning code update is below.

The staff report and ordinance are available at the following links:

Completed updates

Contact Information

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