Bloomington’s Plan Commission is considering changes to the city’s Unified Development Ordinance, which is the guiding document for land use regulations in the city.
The changes being considered affect the ordinance’s Allowed Use Table, which shows what kinds of property development are allowed in certain areas and what level of permit is required.
The first change on the plan commission’s list directly affects housing.
The proposal would eliminate the requirement that an owner of a multi-room house also live there as their primary residence. Residential properties with multiple single room dwelling units would also be considered in districts 1 to 4 but must meet conditions approved by local government officials.
Further proposed changes include allowing commercial urban agriculture in residential areas.
That means any crop planting, composting or food cultivation on a residential property would have to meet certain conditions to be approved by local government officials, similar to sheds or detached garages.
Other proposed changes include prioritizing self-storage facilities and gas stations in higher-traffic, large scale areas and away from smaller neighborhood areas.
The proposed changes will be discussed by the city’s plan commission on July 14 and August 11. The meetings take place at 5:30 p.m. at city hall council chambers room 115.
A vote to approve or deny the proposed ordinance changes by the city council will come sometime this fall.