BZA approves extra wayfinding signs for Novo Nordisk campus

The Bloomington City Board of Zoning Appeals voted June 20 to allow Novo Nordisk to install 10 freestanding signs around its South Patterson Drive manufacturing campus, departing from the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) limit of four such signs for the parcel.

Staff presented the case, noting the parcel’s unusually large size and multiple street frontages. "This property is part of the Thompson PUD ... it has frontage on several adjacent street frontages," planning staff said, and recommended approval with three conditions, including landscaping at sign bases and reducing one internal Roger Street sign from 7'6" to 6'.

Kenton Part, representing Novo Nordisk, said the signs are intended to improve safety and circulation. "We are proposing to add new signage ... we are proposing 10 signs," Part told the board, adding the signs would guide employees, visitors and truck traffic across roughly "3 to 4,000 linear feet of road frontage." He agreed with staff’s recommended conditions, including required landscaping around public‑facing signs.

Board members asked no substantive follow‑up questions and there was no public comment on the petition. A board member moved to adopt staff findings and approve the variance with the three conditions; the motion passed on roll call: Burrell yes; Fernandez yes; Kinko yes.

Why it matters: The board balanced the UDO’s sign limits against the site’s atypical footprint and multiple access points, concluding that additional wayfinding signs would reduce circulation conflicts on adjacent streets if installed and conditioned as recommended. The decision allows Novo Nordisk to proceed with the approved sign package subject to the conditions in the staff report.

What’s next: The variance is approved with conditions; staff will monitor compliance with the landscaping and the reduced internal sign height condition.