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Board approves trades-district hotel variances for stepbacks and landscape area
Summary
A four-story trades-district hotel seeking relief from upper-floor stepback and minimum landscape-area standards was approved by the board after staff found the project's green roofs and public-facing amenities preserved the downtown overlay's intent.
The Board of Zoning Appeals approved variances for a proposed four-story Trades District Hotel in Bloomington’s Trades District overlay, allowing reduced upper-floor stepbacks and relief from the 15% minimum landscape-area requirement.
Staff described the hotel as a 4-story boutique project with roughly 160–170 rooms, meeting space and a public rooftop amenity. The petitioner proposed approximately 6,200 square feet of ground-level landscape area, about 10% of site area, plus 9,500 square feet of green roof and other outdoor spaces. Staff concluded the combination of green roofs, outdoor public space and architectural design would satisfy the intent of the UDO and would not be detrimental to adjacent properties; staff recommended approval with three conditions.
The petitioner echoed staff’s presentation and emphasized public amenities like outdoor dining and open space. A board motion to adopt staff findings and approve the case with the three staff conditions passed by recorded vote.
