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:

Self-Storage Moratorium

On June 22, 2020, the City Council adopted an interim ordinance that establishes a moratorium on the development, construction, or expansion of self-storage facilities in the City.  Given the nature of self-storage as a low-employment, low-activity use, there are concerns that Bloomington is absorbing a disproportionate share of the region’s self-storage demand.  Council has directed staff to complete a planning study assessing the need for revisions to the city’s official controls.  The moratorium is scheduled to last for up to one year, but could be lifted sooner upon completion of the study and adoption of code amendments.  

Staff completed the study in 2020, and reviewed findings with the Planning Commission and City Council.  At its December 14, 2020 study meeting, the City Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance including staff's recommended guidelines.  These are found in the case file linked below.

The City Council held a public hearing on April 5th, and decided to continue the item to its May 3rd meeting.

Previous Planning Commission and City Council meeting minutes and videos are found at www.bloomingtonmn.gov/meetings

Click here for case file information, uploaded documents, and public hearing dates.

For more information, contact Shawn James, Planner at sjames@bloomingtonmn.gov or 952-563-8918

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 18, 2020 City Council meeting.

Landscape Clean-up ordinance

This ordinance includes minor updates to landscape and tree standards.  These include recommendations from the Minnesota River Valley Natural and Cultural Systems Plan, as well as moving standards from Chapter 19 to Chapter 21 of the City Code.  The Sustainability Commission recommended approval with modifications at its March 16th meeting.  The Planning Commission held a public hearing on March 25th and recommended approval.  Next, the ordinance will go before the City Council to consider adoption tentatively scheduled for public hearing on April 26th.  

See the link below for the proposed ordinance and case file information:

https://permits.bloomingtonmn.gov/ProdPortal/Planning/Status?planningId=2386 

Completed Updates

Contact Information

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