Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals – June 26, 2026

The Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) met on June 26, 2026 (per meeting metadata; the raw transcript references "June 20th" – a date discrepancy is noted). The board approved the minutes from May 28, 2026, and considered three petitions: a variance for ten freestanding signs at the Novo Nordisk campus on South Patterson Drive, a variance for increased wall signage at Crumble Cookies on South College Mall Road, and a conditional use application for a duplex at 412 East Wiley Street. The first two petitions were approved unanimously; the third was continued to a future meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of May 28, 2026: Approved unanimously (Burrell, Fernandez, Kazinko all yes).

ZR 2026-05-0020 – 1300 South Patterson Drive (Novo Nordisk Sign Variance)

• Request: A variance from UDO sign standards to allow 10 freestanding signs instead of the permitted 4 on a large manufacturing campus (part of the Thompson PUD). The property has 3,000–4,000 linear feet of road frontage and multiple access points.
• Staff Report: Staff recommended approval with three conditions, including landscaping around perimeter signs and reducing the height of an internal south parking area sign from 7 feet 6 inches to 6 feet. Staff found no threat to public health/safety/welfare, no adverse impact on adjacent properties, and that practical difficulties were peculiar to the property's size and multiple frontages.
• Petitioner: Kenton Pardu of Pledge Hogreaker Cooper James, representing Novo Nordisk, and Brian Rails. They supported the staff conditions and stated the signage is needed to direct trucks and employees, prevent safety hazards from trucks backing onto public rights-of-way, and clarify public vs. private roads.
• Public Comment: None.
• Board Action: Motion to adopt staff findings and approve with conditions passed unanimously (Burrell, Fernandez, Kazinko yes).

ZR 2026-05-002 – 1155 South College Mall Road (Crumble Cookies Sign Variance)

• Request: A variance to increase the wall sign allowance for a multi-tenant center. The tenant space is 27 feet wide, allowing 40.5 square feet of wall signage. Crumble proposed two new wall signs (front and rear elevations), each about 40 square feet, for a total of 79.74 square feet – exceeding the allowance by 39.24 square feet. The petition number is transcribed as "ZR 2026-05-002."
• Staff Report: Staff recommended denial. A 2021 permit allowed only one 40.5-square-foot sign, although plans showed two signs. Staff found no peculiar condition of the property and stated the UDO contemplates this scenario.
• Petitioner: Thomas Hopkins, Sign Solutions, representing Crumble. He said they are rebranding and replacing existing signs of nearly identical size; the signs have been in place for five years without safety issues.
• Public Comment: Betty Rosenagle spoke in support, saying the signs help people find the business and the objections lacked "common sense."
• Board Discussion: Board members questioned staff on whether a reface of the existing signs would be acceptable (staff said yes if the cabinet remains). Board member Burrell moved to amend finding #2 to state "adverse impacts ... are not found" and amend finding #3 to state strict application "will result in practical difficulties" (deleting "not" from the original finding), citing the building elevation and landscaping along College Mall Road making UDO-compliant signage ineffective. The board approved the amended findings and the variance.
• Board Action: Motion to adopt amended findings and approve variance passed unanimously (Burrell, Fernandez, Kazinko yes).

ZR 2026-05-0023 – 412 East Wiley Street (Duplex Conditional Use)

• Request: Conditional use approval for a two-story duplex with two 3-bedroom, 3-bath units (6 bedrooms, 6 baths total) in an R3 residential zoned neighborhood (Bryan Park). The lot currently has a single-story single-family home. Infrastructure includes an unbuilt right-of-way for South Palmer Avenue; the alley to the south is unimproved. The plan includes 4 parking spaces (the maximum allowed), a 9-foot driveway off East Wiley, and street trees. The property is not historic; no closed canopy was found.
• Staff Report: Staff recommended approval with two conditions. Staff found the proposal consistent with UDO design standards: roof pitch, porch width/depth, setback, and parking access similar to surrounding properties; the single-story block face had no other duplex within 150 feet. The petitioner met with neighborhood associations jointly on May 7, 2026, and revised the plan to add a 6-foot privacy fence.
• Petitioner: Kevin Spicer. He noted he sought to avoid any variances, including not requesting additional parking and keeping the 15-foot setback (closer than existing homes) to remain code compliant.
• Public Comment: Many residents opposed the petition:
  • Jane St. John (408 East Wiley) said the duplex is not similar in shape/size to the single-story homes on the block and is "disproportionate and oversized."
  • John Lawrence presented an exhibit of the seven homes on the block face, arguing the 2-story duplex fails UDO 20.03.030 B3C2 (similar in general shape, size, and design) and read a proposed finding of fact into the record.
  • Jan Sorby argued the UDO's design standards are not a simple checklist and that the setback should match the block's established pattern rather than the minimum.
  • Corey Gerhardt (two doors from the site) said the street is too narrow for parking on both sides and staff's on-street parking statements were misleading.
  • A resident cited a letter from Councilwoman Piedmont Smith recommending denial, noting the street's 22.5-foot pavement width and insufficient 12-foot travel lanes with parking.
  • Julie Vonderschmidt called it a "predatory demolition project" designed as high-density rental, inconsistent with affordable homeownership.
  • Jody Adkins (401 East Dodge) expressed concern about parking overflow blocking the dead-end easement behind her home and access for utility companies.
  • Kim Vint referenced past approvals of similar duplexes that worsened parking/traffic.
  • Sarah St. John Wolford (Housing Solutions Director, Habitat for Humanity) seconded concerns about homeownership opportunity.
  • Andrew Ruff argued approval would undermine trust in government and the conditional use process.
  • Tatiana Moir cited pedestrian safety on the narrow street.
  • Kyle Parker, a Bryan Park resident, said he loves the neighborhood and worries about cumulative impacts of duplexes.
• Board Discussion: Burrell expressed concerns about scale and infrastructure; Fernandez noted the code allows 3 bedrooms per unit. Staff clarified the building's 15-foot setback is from the property line, not edge of pavement, and the block face is defined from Dunn to Grant along the south side of Wiley. A motion to approve with staff findings failed (Burrell yes; Fernandez no; Kazinko no).
• Board Action: Burrell then moved to continue the petition to the next BZA meeting to allow the petitioner and staff to discuss scaling back the unit size and to have the full board present. Fernandez seconded. The motion passed unanimously (Burrell, Fernandez, Kazinko yes). The petitioner is expected to return with possible design changes.

Key Outcomes

• Approved unanimously: ZR 2026-05-0020 (Novo Nordisk sign variance) with three conditions.
• Approved unanimously: ZR 2026-05-002 (Crumble Cookies sign variance) with amended findings.
• Continued unanimously: ZR 2026-05-0023 (412 East Wiley duplex) to a future BZA meeting; the petitioner will work with staff on possible revisions (e.g., reducing unit size/bedrooms) and the board will include additional members.