City of Bloomington, MN Planning Commission, 8 Jun 2023

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From YouTube: June 8, 2023 Bloomington Planning Commission Meeting

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June 8, 2023 Bloomington Minnesota Planning Commission Meeting

0:00:00 Start

0:03:56 ITEM 1 PL2023-63
(public hearing) Penn American Property Group LLC (owner)
Itton Ramen (user)
2137 W 80th ½ Street
Conditional Use Permit for outdoor seating at an existing restaurant
0:06:32 ITEM 2 PL2023-65
(public hearing) Steady Countryside LLC (owner)
The Arts Creative (user)
7700 W Old Shakopee Road
Conditional Use Permit for an art studio in an existing tenant space
0:15:27 ITEM 3 City of Bloomington
(study item) Annual Housing Report
1:03:10 ITEM 4 City of Bloomington
(study item) Consider approval of draft April 27, 2023, May 11, 2023, and May 25, 2023 Planning Commission meeting synopses
0:57:10 ITEM 5 City of Bloomington
(study item) Planning Commission Policy and Issues Update

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A

And welcome to the June 8th 2023 meeting of the Bloomington Planning Commission, the Planning Commission is made up of seven volunteer Bloomington residents appointed by the city council. Tonight we have five, which is a quorum. A commission advises the city council on development proposals, development standards, long-range planning and transportation issues. Our work is informed by the city's comprehensive plan, various District plans and the city code for some items. The commission makes a recommendation with the city council having the final decision-making Authority.

A

In other cases, the Planning Commission can approve or deny an application subject to an appeal to the city council, which is the case the case in the items tonight for each action item. There will be a staff report, an opportunity for the applicant to present and then time for any member of the public to provide testimony.

A

Our first order of business tonight is the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand as you are able pledge allegiance to apply to The Republic.

A

Of indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

A

For the public hearings there will be an opportunity to provide remote testimony and I will ask the planning manager to go over those details.

B

Yes, uh chair Roman good evening, we do have a public hearing tonight and for that public hearing we can take testimony here in the chambers if you're at home, watching you can also call in via phone to testify. You would call the number on the screen and then enter in the access code, and we will have this number uh showing up periodically on the screen during the public hearing items tonight. Thank.

A

You, the first item, is a public hearing on a request for a conditional use, permit and I believe we have an update on this item status from planner aspect or from the planning manager.

B

Yeah, chair Roman Commissioners a little bit of a late breaking update at 336. This afternoon we received correspondence from Stuart Co opposing issuance of the conditional use permit, and you each have a copy of that correspondence in front of you, because the proposed outdoor seating is on Condo, Association property and because stuartko is an owner within the association they may have. Property rights and an application for a conditional use permit requires authorization from the property owner or authorized representative in order to issue the conditional use permit.

B

So until documentation is provided, that establishes who has legal control over common Association property action should not be taken on the conditional use permit. So what we're recommending tonight is that you pass a motion that would hold open the public hearing by continuing this item to June 22nd.

A

Any questions for staff on that recommendation.

A

Right and how about a commissioner Albrecht.

C

uh Thank you, chair in case pl2023-6-3 I move to hold open the public hearing and continue the item to the June 22nd 2023 Planning Commission meeting.

A

Second, thank you. We have a motion and a second to continue this public hearing to the June 22nd meeting of this commission. Commissioner cookton.

D

Point of clarification, Mr chair: do you need to open the public hearing.

A

My understanding is that we do not. Is that accurate or not.

B

Yeah, chair, Roman, I believe with a motion. You would be opening it and then holding it open, but you could formally state that you open a.

A

Public hearing I will formally open the public hearing, and now we have a motion and a second to hold open the public hearing and continue this item to June 22nd any further discussion. Thank you for that clarification. All those in favor of continuance, say aye aye.

E

A

All right, this item will return to us in two weeks. The second item uh is another uh conditional use permit for an art studio and an existing uh facility and planner haspec has this item for us.

F

Good evening.

F

No use permit um for an art studio called the Arts creative located at 7700 West Old Shakopee Road site in pink in the middle of this screen. The subject property is zoned B2, which is General commercial, with a planned development overlay and is designated General business in the comprehensive plan. The surrounding uses uh are zoned R1, with a school to the north.

F

A place of assembly to the east, Dred Scott Park, is to the South and single family homes are to the West staff classified this use as a hybrid of an instructional Center and indoor Recreation and entertainment, which both require a conditional use permit in the Sony District, which is why we're here tonight.

F

So here is um a floor plan. So the applicant is proposing 1700 square 1700 square foot, art studio in the existing tenant space, a little bit about the Arts creative. It offers instruction in a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing Ceramics and other types of art. The typical class size would be 12, students and classes would last between an hour and a half to three hours. Business hours would be approximately 9 A.M to 9 pm open various days of the week.

F

uh You can see um where the proposed unit would be. The art studio will occupy approximately 80 percent of the 22 000 square foot shopping center and the previous use in this tenant space was a nutrition shop, and before that it was a Subway.

F

um Just a little bit of additional analysis, the parking requirements for the proposed art studio um would be 9.4 spaces, which is one per 180 square feet for retail services which matches the previous use. So staff has no parking concerns um and then exterior lighting is in full compliance as well as trash collection and Storage.

F

um I did get an email from commissioner cookton earlier asking about the Kiln. So I was able to speak to the applicant earlier, and um the applicant has been working with one of our fire inspectors to make sure that the Kiln Meat Safety standards and the update that I got earlier is that she recently installed a high temperature sprinkler I think that the fire department suggested she install and then there's a mechanical such slash, HVAC permit. That has been pulled for the Kiln Hood.

F

um So the fire department is aware of the Kiln and they're working with the applicant, and so with that staff was able to make the required findings and recommends approval through the following motion on the screen.

A

Thank you for that. Are there questions for staff, commissioner, Albrecht.

C

Thank you chair and is related to other tenants in that area in that strip mall, who are they their tenants and have they indicated any positive um sentiments toward the the space or negative sentiment store the space.

F

Yeah, thank you chair, commissioner um Albrecht, so I mean I, think I can't list all the tenants I know like at the end of one of the shopping centers, there's like an ice cream shop, um maybe like a Domino's. Some of those um and we've received uh no like letters or calls or anything that are um like. Not wanting this to happen. So um I would say it's okay and we sent out the Public Notices. So yeah and we've heard nothing so far.

A

Other questions for staff.

A

Seeing none thank you. Would the applicant like to speak on this item. You could come on up and introduce yourself and anything you'd like us to know. Hi.

G

I'm Katie Ross I'm, a K-12 licensed art teacher that is stepping away from the classroom to open my own Studio, because I can have more our time and um you guys are all very welcome to come to it because it's not just for kids. It's also for us uh and I have kind of introduced myself to some of the neighbors and I've. Had there's like a nail company right next door to me.

G

There's a chiropractor there's uh the Pet Hospital right next door and the nail lady offered to put my stuff up and which I was like. Oh my gosh, that's awesome and I've talked to you. There's also a liquor store a couple doors down and they said their wife might be interested in it because when's the last time you guys got to do art you know so I am the Kiln has been. um It was actually a gift from uh the Chanhassen fire.

G

Extra Chan has some fire chief's wife funny enough that she gifted me this Kiln but I've been having it for a long time, and it's just like this little guy and it's becoming a big thing. So I hope it really I hope you guys come in and reuse this Kiln, because I've done a lot of work to try to get it to be firing, so otherwise that's it. I'm, just really excited and I hope that I can feel a need for the community, because I know we all need more art.

A

Thank you. Are there any questions for the applicant.

A

Thank you all right. This item is a public hearing, so I will formally open the public hearing. I do not see anyone else in the chamber and it yeah one name I'm, not sure about sure.

B

Yeah everybody on the phone is staff, so we have no callers.

A

Great thank you seeing nobody in person and no one online can I entertain a motion to close the public hearing. Commissioner goldsman.

H

Motion to close the public hearing second.

A

Thank you. We have a motion and a second to close the public hearing any discussion, all those in favor, say, aye aye, opposed to the public hearing is closed. Discussion on the application, commissioner, goldsman.

H

Thanks chair I, think the application in front of us is pretty straightforward and I appreciate that staff's been working with the applicant to ensure the safety of the Kiln um I, also think it's a great amenity for our residents in in Bloomington to be creative and, and it I think, fills a niche for all sorts of demographics. Young and old, and um gives gives us something different to do and fun and creative and beautiful so I'll be it's part of those applications that stands.

A

I I too I don't have any concerns about the specific use in this location. I think you know we often talk about how we Revitalize or keep vital our neighborhood commercial nodes and um I was in this space, maybe a week or so ago- and you know it's, it has some of everything I think has one of everything, except for a casino and so I just feels like it's a it. Just feels like it's that there are so many different uses in that that I have no concern about another, very different use.

A

So I'm, that's my thoughts. Anyone else's thoughts or would like to make a motion, commissioner, cooked in.

D

You're sharing case pl2023-6-5, having been able to make the required findings, I moved to adopt a resolution approving a conditional use permit for an art studio at 7700, West, Old, Shakopee, Road, Unit, 175, subject to the conditions and code requirements attached to the staff report.

H

A

You we have a motion and a second to um but prove a conditional use permit at the subject property any further discussion, all those in favor say: aye aye.

D

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The motion passes: this is a final decision unless an appeal is received uh by Tuesday June 13th at 4pm 4.

E

A

Usually I have it my my Cliff Notes, but I didn't have that so.

G

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G

See you guys soon the yard's creative, all right.

A

Item number: three is a study item, it's our annual housing report and we have the debut presentation with the Planning Commission of planner Lincoln.

B

Yeah sure Roman will uh Ms Lincoln is pulling up her presentation. I just wanted to introduce you to her. Michelle is our newest uh Planner on staff. She started in January and as a long range planner and shares our time with the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Whenever big projects early on has been the housing report which I'll talk about tonight,.

A

Great as when you're ready the floor is yours,.

I

Thank you, chair Roman and Commissioners I'm, happy to be here tonight to talk to you about the annual housing report near and dear to my heart. As it's been a big project since I've started at the city and I'm excited to tell you what Community Development has been doing for housing and how Bloomington is doing for 2022..

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So tonight I will be reviewing. Demographics. I will be talking about our existing housing and affordability. I'll talk about what Community Development did in 2022 and I will also be talking about what we will be doing in 2023 and 2024.

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As you can see in the graphic on the screen, Bloomington is continuing to grow. We are for 2021, which is what the Census Data goes to. We were at 89 436 people.

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Securing Bloomington is the fourth largest city in Minnesota, which is a title that we have held for a very long time and continue the Metropolitan Council forecasts the city of Bloomington to exceed 90 000 by 2030 and continue to grow into 2040..

I

All right, our average household side is, is 2.38 people, our households with children is 25.3 percent. This is actually lower than the region. The region has 31.1 0.3 percent houses with children. This is likely because we have nearly 20 percent of our residents are age 65 or over.

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Additionally, we skew older. Our median age is 42.2. Only Edina in Minnetonka are older in comparison to our peer cities.

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For our demographics, as you can see here, we are 68 percent White non-hispanic, and we are sorry about that and we are 30.2 percent by POC population. This is higher than the region. Our Metropolitan statistical area, which includes Bloomington Minneapolis-St Paul and the larger County area, is 26 percent.

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For existing housing, 50 of our housing is single-family homes.

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And then, additionally, that we have multi-family, condos, townhouses, co-ops and miscellaneous residential, make up the rest of our housing. I want to highlight that miscellaneous residential means, duplexes trip, plexes things like adus or converted spaces that are now residential units. So that's what miscellaneous, housing or residential is represented on this graph and multi-family is greater than three units.

I

As you can see, we had an increase, a noticeable increase in single family single-family rental licenses in the 2013-2014, and we've made fairly steady in that number sense.

I

And then, if you look at new licenses, which is on the bottom, are 21 or 2021 number to 2022 number has a great increase. This is because environmental health made a code amendment in Spring of 2022, which included now included group homes in the licensing program. So there was a big jump in licensings due to a code change, not necessarily a trend indicating more rental licenses in that year.

I

For owning ownership and renting we have a city-wide excuse me Citywide. We have 67 percent of our population in a home ownership and 33 percent in rental housing.

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As you can see, there's some great disparity between white Hispanic and white non-hispanic and bipoc populations in the city at the lowest home ownership. We have black or African-American residents at 30.2 percent with rent and with a majority of that population in rental housing.

I

um This is lower than the region. Excuse me: I apologize I'm, looking at this number as I've been with it forever. That number is actually 27.1 percent I apologize, so it's actually lower than the region in the black populations in the region are at 21, 28 percent.

I

Overall, we have slightly less ownership home ownership in the region um or then the region pardon in our MSA. The Bloomington St Paul blue um Minneapolis St Paul Minneapolis Tri-City area home ownership is at 70.8 percent.

I

Also I have it listed here that homeowner vacancy is less than a percent, and renter vacancy is less than five percent, so we're looking at 95 percent housing occupied. This actually creates a very tight housing market, because it's very difficult for people who are currently in housing in Bloomington to find other housing to meet their needs and in any new residents who come into the city will have very little stock. In order to choose from. This also can put upward pressures on costs because of a scarcity.

I

For income and employment, as you can see in the larger bowler number, is Bloomington. We have trailed behind a little bit in Hennepin, County and the region. That's not really alarming. An important Trend to notice is that we have also grown as the region and the county have grown, so that Gap has made fairly steady and could account for many different factors, considering a count uh considering that it includes so many different cities with their own different considerations for income.

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So it's important to notice is that we have grown since 2010, which is good for us.

I

Also, our unemployment peaked in 2020 I'm, assuming there was really something big going on in that year, um so we had a spike in unemployment, but since then our unemployment numbers have really come down, we're down to 2.7 percent, which is even lower than we were in 2019 prior to the covid-19 pandemic.

I

So we're doing well there also on this screen. I have put the regional area medium income. This is determined by Hud every year they update their numbers to analyze the Metropolitan statistical area and determine what different area minion median in the area. Median income is, and then it's broken down in Eighty percent, sixty percent, fifty percent and 30 percent.

I

These numbers are used by the Metropolitan Council and the formula provided by the eight by Hud in order to determine affordability limits, so these are very important numbers every year in determining Public Assistance systems and a decent metric. In order to compare for affordability, these are the 2022 numbers on the screen. uh 2023 numbers have been released, um so you may see different numbers. If you see the 2023 they change every year, so the ones you're looking at are 2022.

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So when looking at housing costs burden in the city, housing costs burden means that there is or is calculated based on income and the cost of either their rent or mortgage and the applicable taxes.

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A household is considered housing cost burden if they spend more than 30 percent of their income on this number, they are considered severely housing cost burden if they spend 50 percent or more on their housing costs in the city, 20 a little over 20 percent of owners or housing costs, burden and 45.9 percent of our renters are housing costs burden when breaking it down by income level. We see great housing, cost burden in less than twenty thousand dollars a year incomes and 24 or 20 to 35 000 a year incomes.

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If you are making that amount of money and live in Bloomington, you are more likely to be housing costs burden.

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You see that there is a lot of still significant numbers of housing costs, burden in the 35 000 to 50, 000 bands, um 75 74 percent and 43.4 or 74 for renters and 44.3 for owners.

I

It is heartening to at least see those numbers come down from income band, but this also does indicate when you look at the next level, that you must make more than seventy four thousand nine hundred ninety nine dollars to not be housing cost burden in Bloomington.

I

When breaking that down a little bit more to kind of look at the numbers of affordability on the screen here, I have the family income levels for um for ownership and what the affordable housing price would be at each of these levels, I'm looking at less than 100 Ami. In order to really talk about affordability, which is how the national HUD and other agencies look at less than Market.

I

The affordable home price, as determined by the formulas, is 355 600 for 80 Ami, which is the top of that number uh top of the Amis that we look at a median home value for a single family residential home in Bloomington is three hundred and fifty five thousand nine hundred dollars in 2022..

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This means, when looking at the affordable home price determined by the formulas and the formula and the median home value in 2022, at least 50 percent of the housing in Bloomington is unaffordable at those at income households at income. Eighty nine thousand four hundred dollars.

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That also means that for other affordability or other Ami levels, 60 50 and 30 percent, there is no the at least 50 percent of single-family homes. In the city are also um are also unaffordable for them as well.

I

We can only say at least um because we don't calculate affordability at further bands, um but we can at least say that with medium value in median assessed value for other housing types like Condominiums Townhomes to families and zero lot lines, we can see that four eighty percent Ami they cannot afford a two family. They cannot afford a single family and then for those who are 60 Ami, 50 percent Ami 30 Ami.

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They are less likely to afford any housing type in Bloomington. At least 50 percent is unaffordable.

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For the third at least 30 percent Ami.

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For renting and affordability, if they look at our 2021 average rents, we have our average rent at 1268 dollars for 2022. That average rent is one thousand three hundred and fifty nine dollars. That's a 7.1 percent increase.

I

This number is created through co-star and Marquette advisors numbers uh with those reports, not all units report rents for all unit sizes. So this is based on the numbers that we do have for natural, referring naturally occurring, affordable, housing or NOAA.

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We use the same reports. The total units that we were able to analyze are a little over almost nine and a half thousand units.

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The total number of units that are considered NOAA are 59.1 percent, and then we have greater naturally occurring affordable housing in studios, one bedrooms and two bedrooms, but that affordability, the natural that no one number drops to 11.3 percent. When you get into larger units, it's even smaller for four bedrooms and above as well now to describe what naturally occurring affordable housing is. It means housing that is Affordable with no subsidy.

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For new development in 2022 there was a total unit production of 1527 units, 23 of that was affordable.

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As you can see in the table below 30 percent or nine uh nine units at 30 percent 72 units of 50 270 units at 60 percent.

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We were able to get 31 units at 70 percent, and so the total below market rate units produced were 351..

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Now those numbers are added to our total total, affordable units since 2020 and our 20 30 goals. Now these goals are determined uh were developed from the 24-d housing policy for Metropolitan Council and from that a needs allocation is assessed and that's where these numbers come from.

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As you can see, we have achieved our goals in sixty percent, say above 60 percent Ami with 500 and well I'm, not going to be able to do the math, 487 plus 50., um where the amount of units that we have for that and our goal was 151..

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Also we are nearing our 50 Ami goal ahead of schedule and seven years left we still have a lot of work to do and our 30 Ami. We have only achieved 42 units. So far we have achieved our total new unit production we've exceeded that by 68 units.

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So we are meeting our needs allocation for total units.

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This is a map that shows residential development that was completed in 2022, as you can see, from west to east we've had a spread of units available, 467 opened and 193 and 93 of those were affordable.

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Projects that are in the pipeline for 2022 an additional thousand a little over a thousand units are in the pipeline. 189 of them are affordable.

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So in Community Development we've had a lot of work that we've done related to housing and to support housing and to support, affordable and healthy housing.

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So I'm planning and zoning we've done code, amendments and housing studies and major development reviews, as I'm sure you've been all been a part of one of our planning. Achievements have been allowing housing as a conditional use in the transitional industrial zoning District. We did a town home standards review a multi-family parking requirements, review an ordinance.

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We've updated our Adu standards in order to provide more housing options which will be important for residents as they move through their life as they as new changes happen and as they may need. Different housing needs.

I

In building inspections, they have done a lot of work in making sure that the time of sale program, which is in its, which is a 25 year old program, was moved into house. So now the building inspections in Bloomington fully runs that program and then, as part of their involvement in the profitting permitting process.

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They have observed that Bloomington residents have invested over 21 million dollars in home evaluation for remodels and Renovations on existing single-family homes.

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This is really important because it means our residents are improving our housing stock as it ages and keeping it in the housing supply for whenever it will be ready to be sold or moved to different owners or being adapted to the owners who already lived there for whatever needs that they may have.

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Hris had great strides in its housing programs for housing, Choice vouchers, they've, assisted 100, new households in Vash, Foster use in Independence; and emergency and portability, housing and they've assisted 537 households with tenant-based vouchers.

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In rental homes for future home buyers, four households purchased homes and two more maybe May purchase Homes at a later date, an assisted rental, two households successfully exited the program and two households purchased homes.

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In the home improvement loan program, 24 loans were approved, totaling, 631 thousand dollars.

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46 loans were satisfied amounting to almost a million dollars and a total amount of repayments and five help. Loans were approved, totaling, almost thirty thousand dollars.

I

That's a little bit of a transition, but there was a assessment done for HRA that included Port Authority. As a result of the HRA assessment, the Port Authority will now manage development city-wide. This includes multi-family properties of 20 units or more, which aligns with the opportunity housing ordinance that they now manage.

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They will work with the appropriate and boards and commissions when projects pursue the various funding sources that are now kind of under their purview as owning that ordinance and development city-wide.

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Environmental health, they had code amendments and procedural updates. I mentioned a little bit of that before there was a spring code amendment that included group homes in the rental licensing program.

I

They also made code amendments to definitions to reduce disparities in discrimination in housing and Rental housing, so the definitions in family and for under related persons occupancy were deleted. They now follow the international property maintenance code in order to determine occupancy limits and amounts. They repealed the crime-free requirements they and they also updated rental procedures and fees.

I

Assessing assess needs to assess a hundred percent of our res of our properties every five years, as determined by state statute. So in 2022 they were, they succeeded in assessing 20 percent of the properties in Bloomington, which is a great achievement. It's not easy, looking at uh over 42 000 Residential Properties, and they also continue to track long-term Market changes. So they're keep apprised at the data and make sure they're tracking sources and ensuring that they're following State Statute and keeping our databases updated.

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And we're ready for 2023-2024.

I

So, what's next we're doing research and study for code amendments, this includes short-term rentals, single room, occupancy, missing middle housing and single and family two family standards, which, as now the I mean breaking update, I'm sure you all know that has passed.

I

Also. We continue to work on the housing Continuum, the Continuum as meaning of people of different needs, so it could be those who are suffering homelessness, though, unto up to those who are entering the market housing market, the full rate, housing market.

I

So they will continue. We will continue to work on housing, stability, Pathways to home ownership, housing creation and housing preservation, which includes things like Energy, Efficiency and Home Improvements.

I

Additionally, with their HRA, is updating their software and becoming as paperless on many things. Although paper applications and things are still available to those who need them, and then the porter toward authorities team is growing.

I

Thank you for listening to my report and I am happy to answer any questions that you have.

A

Thank you well done, study items so any discussion questions, thoughts, feedback. One thing that struck me was I recognize that some of the numbers in the one slide were 22. 23 was the slide that talked about Ami and then bloomington's income growth over time and it what it struck me is that we often talk about Ami right and that's a measure that we use in um I. Think you had it there. Sorry.

I

A

About two more one, more one more.

I

One more go there, we go um too many there. We go so.

A

Yeah we always our Benchmark is you know again I recognize that we're off by a year on these, but that's they're, still close um that you know the Ami is 118, but the city of Bloomington actually probably Falls closer to 70 percent. So uh when we think about that, it's just I I found it interesting that essentially bloomington's Ami, if you will, is 70 of the Metro.

A

I

If I'm reading, that right is that yeah. Thank you, chair, Roman and Commissioners um I think that the um these numbers are calculated from HUD based on census data and so the area median income means that this is the middle number for those who are 50 below and 50 above um so I think it's a it's a valid comparison to make and to think about.

A

It's always interesting that as we we think about that the reality is for our community. It's lower still.

I

And this is um uh household income based on a family of four, and this is kind of what the HUD determines as when you're at 100, Ami and you're, making a hundred and eighteen thousand two hundred dollars, you can support comfortably a family of four in the region.

A

Anyways uh questions, discussion, thoughts.

A

Commissioner, Abdi.

E

Just a comment: I, don't have a question just uh I just learned a lot just through reading. Listening to your presentation, I think you've done an amazing job and welcome to the city. I think it's been long overdue, but um I I think, with my background in planning. I feel like you've done an amazing job of folks who would want to watch this back home to understand how we're doing and where we're headed.

E

um So I really appreciate the work that you've done and the work that the staff has done in general, too, achieve the housing goals that we've had I guess. The general question is, if we're seven years away from 2030, and we were not meeting our goals like by far what would be the consequences to to the city in general.

I

Thank you, chair romance Roman and commissioner Abdi, um so as part of the needed allocation that the Met Council provides. There's no punitive.

I

Metrics or Consequences baked into that I think the idea is that they want to give enough flexibility for the cities to address housing, which has so many factors, and many cities and areas in the nation are suffering housing crisis which is very difficult to address.

I

So really it's these numbers are I would say not so much aspirational, but they are definitely energizing to get cities to work towards them. If we don't meet those goals, the consequences are probably more real that we would see in the city as in. We would have increased homelessness and people who can't afford their housing more so than something from the Met Council.

E

Sorry, the other question that just come to mind, as you mentioned, the term homelessness I. Think during covid, we've seen some of our hotels getting converted to Temporary housing.

E

um I, don't know if we had any numbers to share whether or not those hotels did state to provide housing and whether or not there were real consequences, or at least like actual numbers, I, don't know how you would count homelessness in the community, because that's a group that constantly moves, you know Season wide seasons and you know, availability in you know placement do we have any numbers on like homelessness in Bloomington and the other part is that with our hotels, doing covet has those resulted in a housing.

I

Thank you chair and, commissioner um with homelessness. Usually there is a census done every year at a point in time and people go out and they try to census the homeless population in a specific geography, so that census is done yearly. As far as the data on the housing with the hotel conversion I'd like to pass it over to the planning manager to see if he has any insights, yeah.

B

Roman uh commissioner Abdi, during the pandemic, there was a fair amount of temporary use of hotels for people experiencing uh kind of housing crisis situations.

B

I don't have the exact numbers of what that was at the peak in the hotels, but my understanding is presently there's. No, um there may be sporadic. You know, individuals in hotel rooms, kind of paid for by public entities here and there, but no blocks of rooms are reserved presently, for that.

I

And if you're interested in the number or percentage for the homeless population in Bloomington I can look into that number and share it with you.

E

Thank you I appreciate that I didn't want to put you guys on the spot, but I could have it just came to me as you presented so I appreciate those thank you.

A

That's a it's a it's a topic that has a lot of layers to it. You know and I know we have agencies in town that are doing work with on house communities, but sometimes I mean it's an expert, but the on-house situation can be because of income and affordability. That can also be because of Any number of other factors separate from affordability, and that was one of the things that was interesting too. Is that and we've known this is a big challenge.

A

We've tried to do things like the opportunity, housing ordinance, but that 30 number is very hard to crack I think.

A

But, commissioner cookton.

D

Thanks Mr chair, um Ms Lincoln, you said we're old. Why do you? Why do you think that is.

I

uh Thank you, commissioner, cookton and chair. um There could be any number of factors that go into what would contribute to a community skewing older.

I

um It could be that there is a strong sense of place, so people end up staying here a long time, um there's also other kind of broader factors that could be going on in the world. People may not be able to afford to move and the equity in their homes, kind of keeps them in place, not just loving the home, but also not necessarily wanting to leave it um and then sometimes when they downsize. They still want to stay.

I

They want to age in place, and that could mean in their home or in the community in general.

I

um In the new development that has come up, the senior housing is a big part is as noticeable amount of how uh type of housing that is being developed, and so that also allows people to say when they downsize.

I

So there's kind of like a lot of different factors that could um keep the trend of the population skewing older, but it also could be related to affordability were those who are younger or families with children. Can't move into Bloomington, and so if there isn't new population from different age ranges moving into the city than the number of skews that in that direction. But there are many factors, so you can hit her abroad variables.

D

From your perspective, professionally is that okay, then we're old. You wish we were younger. What is what's good for a city.

I

Thank you um for the question, commissioner. Cookton um Professor from my professional opinion a lot of times when you look at a community, you kind of want a good balance of those who are working, those who are not working, those who are Community committing contributing to the economy and also to the sense of community, and that could mean a large variety of age ranges.

I

um So it's not bad that a community might be skewing older.

I

um That could just mean it's a place that people really want to stay and really want to age in aging is very vulnerable and wanting to be here shows good things about Bloomington, and it also could mean that if people want to stay here, we can help them do that when they express their needs, but also you want other age groups in order to contribute to the community new ideas, new energy, to help each other takes a wide variety of of age groups, but I, don't think, there's anything alarming about the Bloomington number, necessarily a median age of 42 and there's still a lot of energy in the community.

I

So I think that it's good to kind of understand. The factors that go into it make sure we're helping people at different age groups and working towards that. But I don't think it's alarming.

A

Do you know um it's okay, if you don't have it handy, but the median age of our state is not that far off from that I don't think it's. It was just in the news, maybe in the last week or so I.

I

Don't have the number for the.

A

It's okay, State.

I

I do have the median age for the region, sure for the region, it's 37.4 and that gap between us and the region has increased um in the last few years. It's minute. So it's not a rapid increasing in that Gap. But we are a little older than the region.

A

Commissioner, Goldson thanks.

H

Chair um just to give you a personal story of based on your your question about why are we older, so um my family and I moved into our home in 2009? It was built in the late 60s, which most of the housing stock is 50 60s, maybe some 70s um I would say four out of the five homes within my block were original homeowners that built the house in the late 60s, and they wanted to age in place. They love their Community.

H

They love their neighborhood, but I think with our community the age of the housing stock. A lot of those homeowners are either original homeowners or second homeowners that have been there for 30 40 years and.

E

H

Or have chosen to stay in in their home, so just as a one example here, um one question that I had around- and this is a great slide to talk to is have we looked at the number of people that work in Bloomington versus the number of people that live in Bloomington and the reason I asked that question is when we look at affordability um and and and employment.

H

Do people come to Bloomington just to leave and live somewhere else, or do we see a lot of people living and working here in Bloomington and how does that play into affordability.

I

Thank you, commissioner goldsman chair Roman, um so that is a number that we can look up. So if you're curious about kind of what the exact distribution is of those who commute outside of the city, the census does have insights into that. So that is data that we can find for their current round of the American Community survey, which is what most a majority of the data that I showed. You comes from um and that's something really important to consider as well, even just based on maybe like using some State numbers.

I

So the state has said that if you have a large company, your media, your minimum wage, is 10.59 an hour based on the average rent in the city. They would need to work 93 hours a week in order to afford the average rent. Now the average rent is a number that does include very high, as well as naturally occurring affordable housing. So there is some you know variability in that number, but even so it's not much different than our median rent, which is one thousand three hundred and twelve dollars So.

I

Based on that, we're still looking at upwards of 100 hours for someone working minimum wage to afford the average rent in the city.

I

So if we have, you can look at other things like how many service jobs do we have How likely? Are they to pay minimum wage and kind of extrapolate there on if people making minimum wage can live here.

B

Chair Roman, commissioner goldsman I can follow up a little bit on that. So Bloomington has two jobs within Bloomington for every Bloomington resident in the workforce. It's kind of a two to one ratio there and then of Bloomington residents who are working one out of every four Works in Bloomington. So three would commute outside Bloomington. So then, if you think about the number of jobs in Bloomington, one out of every eight would be occupied by Bloomington resident and then seven out of eight would be people commuting into Bloomington.

B

So rough numbers yeah.

H

Thank you to have a follow-up question. If I may um thinking about we're talking about housing and I, think about affordability and the reason I asked this question around people you know leaving Bloomington is you know. Obviously, affordability of housing is really important, but then also Transportation costs as well. So thinking about you know if we could get more people who can be in affordable housing here in Bloomington, they're paying less for their car if they can afford a car transportation through you know bus system or light rail, or even just gas in general.

H

So thinking about that comes into play as well, when we think about affordability, and we can keep people here in Bloomington somebody who lives and works in Bloomington, it's the best thing ever so. Hopefully we can do more of that.

A

Any other observations, commissioner,.

D

Cookton I'm pointing out that Juliana lives and works in Bloomington, so it is the best she is. They.

A

Want to meet foreign two.

B

D

B

A

Are right here we're over representative um any other discussion and observation?

A

This is very helpful. Thank you, um and um can you go to keep this fresh in our mind as we will be tackling this issue again soon.

I

Thank you, chair, Roman and Commissioners. The report. The full report will be coming out shortly as soon as that is available, it would be distributed widely. It'll include a lot more data, so if you're really hungry for more data, it will be available soon, as well as some additional analysis for you to reference.

A

Our last item is our routine uh policy and issue. Update and I will begin with the planning manager.

B

And chair Roman Commissioners, looking forward to the next meeting, it's June 22nd. We have four items on that agenda. Last meeting we talked about five uh one was withdrawn, so we have a variance front yard setback variants.

B

Then we have an application for conditional or sorry comprehensive plan, Amendment rezoning, preliminary final development plans for a four-story apartment building, that's at Knox and American, and and we have two study items and a review of the mural ordinance and potential amendments there and then rezonings on Lindale Avenue from the B2 to the B4 District.

B

Our application deadline has passed for July 13th, we've not received any items or applications for that meeting. So, depending on June 22nd, we may or may not have a meeting on July 13th.

A

And we will then have a fifth item on the 22nd now the continue to improve tonight also.

B

And then that's true, we will have the continued item from tonight.

B

A

Meeting um go ahead and then.

A

A

um Let's go ahead and keep finish this item.

B

Okay, thank you. Yeah.

B

And then I did want to share. um Let me close this sorry.

B

Where is the there, it is.

B

So I did want to share one item from the city council meeting on Monday night.

B

um The city council talked about some additional projects that they would like to have added to the Planning Commission work plan and they went ahead and and did add those to the Planning Commission work plan. The projects they added include rs1, District amendments, rs1, rezonings and then environmental standards, a review for low density, residential use of city-wide. All three of these projects flowed out of the public hearing, discussion on the single family and two family amendments which were adopted to make room for those three new projects.

B

They deferred two projects that had been on your work plan to the 2024 work plan, namely the South Loop District, Plan update and the pickup parking pickup window standards, both of which are were previously on your work plan.

B

So just wanted to highlight those changes.

A

Just uh for clarity, rs1 is our very large lot residential, correct.

B

Chair Roman, that's correct, uh uh Bloomington has three single-family districts. uh R1 applies to the vast majority of the city. Rs1 is a large lot. Zoning District it applies to about 120 properties and then the final District r1a placed I believe just seven properties that do not have sanitary sewer service, so they're in septic systems.

A

Thank you any other items for policy on issue update commissioner.

D

Cooked in thanks Mr chair, we were alerted to this change in our our work plan for the year and I was a little disappointed that we weren't consulted the city councils kind of did that without talking to us and granted, there I believe that's at their will to do that, but I certainly wish they would would talk to us. um There's a couple of things here.

D

The South Loop District plan has been a high priority for me for a number of years, and it just seems to getting kicked down the road a little bit and with hopefully the World's Fair coming to us I think we shouldn't wait on that and um yeah I.

D

Think I would just like to express on the record that, if they're going to change our work plan that they should consult to us, there's six people sitting up here, not including me that know a lot of stuff and are very smart and can provide a lot of good inputs and I value. Everyone else's opinion greatly and I. Think it's to the city's benefit to have our opinion on our work plan and so I hope that if this were to come up again that they consult us before making this change on their own.

A

I would Echo that feedback to whatever extent you can share that with those who Christian Albrecht I.

C

Also want to Echo that feedback and given that rs1 is only affecting about 150 properties and we're looking at a significant number of people who live in the South Loop and hopefully will continue to move to the South Loop I think our impact is higher.

C

um Looking at that District Plan update, rather than the 140, whatever properties and the large Lots, that's my opinion.

A

Any other items for the policy and issue update.

A

um I inadvertently skipped over an item on our agenda. There are three Planning Commission meeting synopses that are up for approval. First item is from April 27th and absent were Commissioners goldsman and Abdi. So I would look for a motion on the April 22nd I.

D

A

Sorry so moved.

C

Second, motion.

A

A second any discussion, all those in favor say aye aye opposed abstain. Abstaining motion passes next item is May 11th um all were present, except for commissioner Corman, who is also not here tonight. um Anyone here to make a motion on May 11th a motion in a second to adapt. The May 11th Planning Commission synopsis any further discussion, all those in favor say: aye aye opposed those are adopted and same situation for the May 25th uh synopsis all present, except for commissioner Corman. Is there a motion.

H

So moved second thank.

A

You emotion in a second any further discussion. All those in favor say aye aye,.

H

A

Motion passes, oh sorry, opposed motion passes. That concludes our agenda for tonight. I think you know, wear some comfortable shoes for the 22nd. It's going to be a longer meeting with a large agenda, but we will see you all again in two weeks. We are adjourned.