Commissioners voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a two-story, ~65,000-square-foot manufacturing addition and a nitrogen storage tank pad at Seagate's 7801 Computer Avenue/7850 Nord Avenue campus. The project requires a 31% parking deviation (1,118 stalls vs. 1,625 required by code), which staff and a third-party traffic study found acceptable given peak demand of only 818 stalls; Seagate must also plant 43 additional trees on the Bloomington side to meet landscaping code. The item heads to the city council consent agenda on June 29.
In a study session on multifamily performance standards, staff recommended reducing street-side setbacks from 40 to 20 feet, cutting or eliminating the one-per-unit storage locker requirement, and lowering required usable open space by 25% in multifamily (RM) districts. Commissioners broadly supported easing setbacks and were split toward eliminating storage-unit requirements, but pushed back hard on counting individual balconies at a 3-to-1 bonus toward collective open space, especially when not all units have balconies. No formal vote was taken; staff will refine proposals for a future city council study session and public hearing.
Staff proposed eliminating open-space reduction incentives under the Opportunity Housing Ordinance (OHO) for 51-60% and 31-50% AMI affordability tiers while preserving them for deeply affordable (30% AMI and below) units, to push developers toward harder-to-achieve deep affordability. Commissioner White raised concern about inadvertently reducing affordable housing incentives; the chair requested staff bring back an updated report on OHO performance metrics, which the commission has not seen in some time.
As part of annual minor code cleanup, staff proposed codifying a 150-foot odor-mitigation buffer between cannabis businesses and residentially zoned property, formalizing a condition already applied case-by-case. Commissioners agreed the requirement should apply to cultivation and manufacturing uses but not cannabis retail/sales, and asked staff to consider adding a pre-occupancy odor-system verification requirement.
Staff proposed distinguishing hand-detailing, appointment-based auto businesses from automated car washes (currently the only allowed category, restricted mostly to industrial zones), and permitting detailing as a use in B2, I1, I2, and I3 districts, excluding Lindau Avenue retrofit priority nodes. Commissioners were generally supportive, with the chair emphasizing protection of the Lindau Avenue retrofit plan's commercial character.
Staff proposed letting developers in mixed-use districts (B4, C5, LX) reduce required primary-facade window transparency from 50% to as low as 25% if they install public art, following up on an earlier commission request. Multiple commissioners said 25% was too low and would discourage street-level activation, with the chair and others favoring keeping the floor near 50% or scrapping the exception; staff will revise the proposal, likely raising the floor back up or dropping the change.
