Zoning Ordinance Update

Completed projects

Landscaping and screening standards

The revised landscape ordinance is designed to improve aesthetics by ensuring that all future development meets reasonable landscaping and screening requirements; improves landscaping consistency among sites; improves customer service through documented standards that allow developers to plan and budget for landscaping early on; and provides guidance to landscape architects as they prepare plans and to staff as they review plans.

HX-R - Mixed-use Zoning District for South Loop

On April 25, 2005, the City of Bloomington created a new Zoning District labeled HX-R and applied the district to several properties near transit opportunities in the eastern portion of the South Loop District. HX-R stands for High Intensity Mixed Use with Residential. The district is meant to implement the City's vision for land along the new Hiawatha LRT system external link, which began operation in December of 2004. Key components of the new zoning district include minimum intensity levels (1.5 FAR minimum), residential inclusion requirements (30 units per acre minimum), and highly limited surface parking.

The first project developed under the HX-R standards is Bloomington Central Station, one of the largest transit oriented developments in the country. This 43 acre development is planned to include approximately 1,100 dwelling units, three million square feet of office uses, a full service hotel plus support retail and service uses, all surrounding an LRT station.

Home occupation/business standards

The purpose of regulating home occupations and businesses, whether via licensing or through zoning, is to protect community residents from the commercial use of their neighborhoods and to maintain the character of residential communities while allowing the pursuit of personal interest. The new home occupation/business standards, adopted in November of 2004, allow low impact home occupations that meet several standards without zoning approval. More intense home businesses require zoning approval in the form of a Condition Use Permit. The most intense home businesses are prohibited.

Runway-related Airport Overlay Zoning Districts

The purpose of the overlay districts is to protect public health, safety, order, convenience, prosperity and general welfare and to promote the most appropriate use of land by preventing the creation or establishment of Airport Hazards near runways subject to the 2004 MSP Zoning Ordinance and Minnesota Statutes. The ordinance regulates land uses and building heights within the Airport Safety Zones as contained in the 2004 MSP Zoning Ordinance. Included in the ordinance are supplemental definitions, prohibited uses based on location in a particular Airport Safety Zone, and height regulations.

Interim Use Permits

This update contained amendments regarding interim uses, included conditions for continuing interim uses for the same use on the site, and changed the use status of billboards from temporary conditional uses to interim uses.

 

For more information or if you have comments or suggestions concerning Zoning Ordinance revisions, contact:

Planning Division
PH:952-563-8920, FAX: 952-563-8949
E-mail: planning@ci.bloomington.mn.us

 

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