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Council studies ‘missing middle’ housing options for Bloomington neighborhoods
Summary
City staff outlined proposed zoning and design standards to allow triplexes, fourplexes, multiplexes, cottage courts and detached townhomes in select residential districts; councilmembers asked for context on parking, ADUs, and rezoning paths.
City planning staff presented a proposal on Oct. 20 to add so‑called "missing middle" housing types to Bloomington’s zoning code and opened a council discussion on where and how those housing forms should be allowed.
Planner Dakota Castende told the council that "missing middle, often referred to as gentle density housing or clustered housing, is housing that ... falls in the middle between single‑family homes and larger apartment complexes," and that the city is exploring standards for triplexes, fourplexes, detached townhomes, cottage courts and multiplexes (defined in the staff draft as structures with five to 16 units).
Staff said the planning goal is to increase housing variety and supply — particularly housing types that can serve people who live alone, small households and older residents who want to age in place — while ensuring new forms fit neighborhood context. Zoning…
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