The James Avenue townhome plan is back before the City Council on Oct. 12. That's when the council is due to pick up the rezoning it set aside in September. When council members tabled the plan, they asked city staff for 3 things: clearer wording for a construction management plan, ways to limit construction impacts, and options to deal with shadowing and whether the design fits the block.
The case is #PL202600126, filed by 9025 James LLC along with Duane and Carol Naddy, according to the city's notice. It asks the city to rezone 9025 and 9033 James Ave. S. from R-1 to R-3. It also asks for approval of final site and building plans for 9 detached townhomes, plus a plat creating 9 lots and 1 outlot.
Here's how it got this far. At a Planning Commission meeting this summer, city staff ran through the big land-use cases headed for public hearings. Two were set for Aug. 20: this townhome plan, built on villa-style lots, and a conditional use permit for a cannabis manufacturing and indoor cultivation site at 9130 Grand Ave. S.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNStaff previewed two Aug. 20 public hearings — a conditional use permit for a cannabis manufacturing/indoor cultivation facility at 9130 Grand Avenue South, and a rezoning/plat for a 9-unit detached villa-lot townhome development at 9025-9033 James Avenue South — plus three Sept. 3 hearings covering a privately initiated code amendment allowing sports training facilities in the FD-2 district and the annual miscellaneous ordinance cleanup items.08/06
The townhome plan then went to the council for its own hearing on Sept. 14, and neighbors showed up in force. They raised traffic on a 2-block local street, construction parking on the street, setbacks, building height, and whether the project fits the neighborhood. One resident said putting 9 homes on that 1 acre would increase it "by a 140%." Planning staff recommended approval, with a construction management plan as a condition. The applicant said the goal is to "create places for new homeowners to build a house." The applicant also said that site development costs mean the project needs 9 lots to keep lot prices within reach for buyers. The council voted to table the rezoning and related approvals until Oct. 12.
The cannabis case is quieter but no clearer. The city's notice lists it as #PL2026-135, filed by Son & Do Partners, for a facility that would handle both cannabis manufacturing and cultivation. The Planning Commission hearing was noticed for its Aug. 20 meeting at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Civic Plaza. We still haven't found a published decision. Grand Avenue has seen this before: the city has also noticed a hearing for a cannabis manufacturing facility in an existing industrial building at 8200 Grand Ave. S.
Next up: the James Avenue townhomes go back to the council on Oct. 12, along with whatever construction and design conditions staff brings with them. We'll update this story with that vote and with the Grand Avenue permit result once it's on the record.
From the meeting: Planning Commission Meeting, August 6, 2026.
