Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting - July 24, 2026

The Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) convened on Thursday, July 24, 2026, at 6:28 PM local time to hear three expedited petitions, three regular petitions, and one continuance. The meeting covered conditional uses, variances for driveway width, impervious surface, sidewalk installation, build-to line, and sign standards. The board also addressed a public notification defect and received public testimony.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from the June 25, 2026 meeting were approved by a vote of 3-0-1 (Smith abstained).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Leo Pilachowski (adjacent property owner at 720 South High Street) notified the board that the required public notice sign for 716 South High Street was not visible 21 days prior to the hearing. He stated he did not object to hearing the petition but wanted the defect noted to preserve his rights.
• Jennifer Long (online) expressed concerns about flood impacts from the multi-use path project at 2101 East Covenant Drive and 1213 South High Street. She requested a no-rise certification, drainage studies, and mitigation measures. She later emailed her full comments.
• Leo Pilachowski also spoke on the 716 South High Street variance, asking that any required shrubs be planted at least 5 feet inside the property line to avoid blocking the vision clearance triangle.
• Pamela Hurt (adjacent resident) spoke on the 1219 West East Branch Road petition, voicing concerns about setbacks, utility lines, potential flooding, and whether the home would be rental or owner-occupied.

Discussion Items

Expedited Agenda

• ZR 2026-06-0032 (2101 East Covenant Drive / 1213 South High Street) – Conditional use for development within the floodway and floodway fringe as part of the High Street Multi-Use Path Project. Staff found all criteria met. Petitioner Neil Copper (Engineering) stated the project is a priority in the city’s transportation plan and uses federal funding. Approved 4-0 with condition requiring floodplain development and site development permits.
• ZR 2026-06-029 (120 South Walnut Street) – Variance from sign standards to allow a 13-square-foot wall sign on the second floor for a tenant (Merchant Bank) due to historic architectural elements on the first floor. Staff recommended approval. Approved 4-0 with condition that approval applies to current and future users of the tenant space.

Regular Agenda

• ZR 2026-06-025 (716 South High Street) – Variances from driveway width (max 18 ft) and impervious surface coverage (max 40% in R2 zoning). The property currently has ~55% impervious surface. Petitioner Carly Swift proposed a parking/turnaround area for safety on busy High Street. Staff recommended a 20x20 ft pad with six shrubs. After debate, board approved a modified motion: maximum 20 ft width, 360 sq ft, two parking spaces, no shrubbery. Vote: 3-1 (Throckmorton dissenting).
• ZR 2026-06-027 (1219 West East Branch Road) – Variances from required sidewalk installation and front build-to line (15 ft) for a new single-family home. Staff recommended approving the build-to line variance (due to a water main easement) but denying the sidewalk variance. Petitioner Sable Byers noted the payment-in-lieu committee does not meet until September 28, 2026. Public comment raised concerns. Board approved the build-to line variance and denied the sidewalk variance, requiring sidewalks on both frontages per staff conditions. Vote: 4-0.
• ZR 2026-06-030 (3430 West Third Street) – Variance from drive-through sign standards in MC zoning (max height 5 ft, max sign area 12 sq ft) to allow a 71-inch-tall, 20-sq-ft electronic message center. Staff recommended denial, noting the UDO now allows drive-through signs and the petitioner could comply with existing standards. Petitioner Christina Blackwell (Crew Car Wash) argued the sign is operational, not advertising. Denied 3-1 (Cosinko dissenting).

Key Outcomes

• ZR 2026-06-0032: Approved (4-0). Conditional use granted for floodway development with permits required.
• ZR 2026-06-029: Approved (4-0). Variance for wall sign on second floor.
• ZR 2026-06-025: Approved as amended (3-1). Variances for driveway width and impervious surface, limited to 360 sq ft, 20 ft width, 2 parking spaces, no landscaping required.
• ZR 2026-06-027: Approved (4-0). Build-to line variance granted; sidewalk variance denied (sidewalks required).
• ZR 2026-06-030: Denied (3-1). Sign variance not granted.
• Continuances: ZR 2026-07-003 (530 South Washington Street) continued to August 27, 2026; ZR 2026-05-022 and ZR 2026-07-05 (412 East Wiley Street) continued.