Bloomington’s city council handled a half dozen more amendments to the update of its unified development ordinance on Wednesday night, approving four out of six.
Three of the approved amendments relax restrictions on large, generally flattish objects: solar panels, fences, and signs. The other amendment approved by the council prohibits “eyebrow” street designs.
Getting support from only one other councilmember besides its sponsor, Chris Sturbaum, was an amendment that would have added structures that have “contributing” status in historic districts to those that are subject to a demolition delay if someone proposes a partial demolition.
The final amendment that the council could have considered was withdrawn. It would have prohibited fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides within a drainage easement. That would have made it a stronger requirement than state law, which the city can’t do, according to its sponsor, councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith.
At Wednesday’s meeting the council voted to add an additional meeting to its calendar for Dec. 3, to handle around 20 additional UDO amendments that were already submitted by the council’s first deadline in early November.
Already on the council’s schedule are meetings for Dec. 10, Dec. 12 and Dec. 17, with a final vote on the amended UDO possible on Dec. 18.
Continue reading “UDO Update: Amendments on bigger signs, taller fences OK’d”