Exciting news! There may be more equitable and sustainable housing options coming to Bloomington, after all!
There are proposed updates to the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) zoning map. To better align with the city’s comprehensive plan, these new zoning maps would allow more affordable, dense, and sustainable housing options near the downtown area.
An extremely brief summary: There are many changes proposed affecting a variety of types of zones. Of note, one proposal is that some areas that are currently zoned R3 will be rezoned to R4. A separate proposal is to increase the variety of residential housing permitted in all zones (varies based on zone type).
I’m excited because my own neighborhood, Prospect Hill, is mostly made up of renters and includes many grandfathered-in duplexes and apartment buildings, part of its charm as a downtown neighborhood.
I would love to welcome even more neighbors to the area and especially allow low-income folks the option to save thousands of dollars a year by living car-free, which is one of the perks of living in a “core neighborhood”.
I will add a part 2 for this post with links to studies and books that discuss the importance of density in cities.
There’s a lot of info below so please reach out if you have questions.
– Jessika
News alert: https://bloomington.in.gov/news/2020/10/22/4630
Project website: https://bloomington.in.gov/planning/udo/map/updates
Proposed Zoning Changes Story Map: Go here for a synopsis of all of the proposed zoning district changes.
Proposed Housing Diversity Story Map: Go here for a synopsis of where and how ‘plexes’ are proposed to be allowed.
Interactive Map: Go here to enter your address and find your existing and proposed zoning district.
PDF Map: Go here for a static and printable pdf version of the map
General Survey: Go here to take the first survey and start providing your feedback on the proposal. https://arcg.is/1vX80O
Public Meetings: The first Zoom meeting will be a presentation of the proposed major changes with a short facilitated question session to follow. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 from 5:30pm-7:00pm. Please use the link below to attend. https://bloomington.zoom.us/j/96582256220?pwd=elFNUSsrb3pBSFZRT1JFcjJ2eU5jZz09