Planning Commission — Bloomington, MN
Date: 2025-12-19

Planning Commission
 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025
 (IN PERSON AND VIA WEBEX)
 BLOOMINGTON CIVIC PLAZA – CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
 1800 WEST OLD SHAKOPEE RD.
 BLOOMINGTON, MN 55431
 6:00 PM
This meeting will be held in person and electronically via Webex. Some Planning Commission members, testifiers, and presenters may participate
electronically as permitted by Minnesota Statutes. Members of the public may participate in person or electronically. Directions are provided below.

To watch or listen to the meeting or to provide testimony:

 1. Attend in person
 2. Watch BTV (Comcast channels 859 or 14)
 3. Watch online at blm.mn/btv-live or the City's YouTube Channel: blm.mn/youtube
 4. Participate via phone (testimony for public hearings only) by dialing 1-415-655-0001. Enter the access code: 2631 950 8838 and the
 password: 7526#. Press *3 to “raise your hand” to indicate a desire to speak; your line will remain muted until it is your turn. When it is
 your turn to speak, the meeting operator will call on you by the first six digits of your phone number and will unmute your line. Listen for
 notification that your line has been unmuted and state your name before speaking. (Note: long-distance call. Consider calling methods to
 reduce or eliminate long distance charges.)

To aid in the smooth running of the meeting, the City recommends pre-registration for remote testimony for public hearing items:
e-mail Planning@BloomingtonMN.gov or call 952-563-8920 any time prior to 4:30 p.m. on the date of the meeting to register and receive instruction.



ITEM 1 City of Bloomington
(study item) Bloomington Ferry Road Corridor Study
 Presenter: Amy Marohn

ITEM 2 Case #PL2025-170
(study item) City of Bloomington
 Fence Standards Review
 Presenter: Dylan Palmer

ITEM 3 City of Bloomington
(study item) Consider approval of 11/06/25 Planning Commission meeting synopsis

ITEM 4 City of Bloomington
(study item) Planning Commission Policy and Issues Update


BloomingtonMN.gov: A yearly meeting schedule, agendas, and the official minutes once approved are available. If you require a reasonable
accommodation, please call 952-563-8733 (MN Relay 711) as soon as possible, but no later than 9:00 a.m. one business day before the meeting day.

Planning Commission Meeting
 Thursday, December 4, 2025
 Watch the meeting recording and view the transcript HERE

 CALL TO ORDER Chair Phil Koktan called the Planning Commission meeting to order in the City
 Council Chambers at 6:01 PM.

PLANNING COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Phil Koktan, Kevin Cunningham, Deanna White, Jared
Munster, and Madeline Summers (all in person).

PLANNING COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Anne Linnee and Abdi Isse.

STAFF PRESENT: Nick Johnson, Dylan Palmer, Kareem Sherard, Amy Marohn, Brian Hansen, and
Julie Long (in person), and Kevin Toskey (attending remotely).

Chair Koktan led the attendees in the reciting of The Pledge of Allegiance.

 ITEM 1 APPLICANT: City of Bloomington
 6:02 p.m.
 REQUEST: Bloomington Ferry Rd Corridor Study

STAFF REPORT AND PRESENTATION:

The PowerPoint presentation begins at 4:36 in the meeting recording.

SRF consultant Philip Kulis presented an overview of the Bloomington Ferry Rd Corridor study
project. The study covers the stretch of Bloomington Ferry Road from Ensign/Veness Road
down to Dred Scott Park/110th Street. The goal is to reassess how that corridor should function
today and in the future– aiming to better serve all users (drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians),
improve intersections and traffic operations, and enhance overall safety and accessibility.
There’s also a strong environmental/sustainability component: the study aim is to identify a
corridor vision that will reduce impervious surface, improve stormwater management, and
reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Historically, Bloomington Ferry Road served as a river crossing. After the construction of the
nearby highway/bridge crossing, that function ended — but the road’s existing geometry
remains as a wide, four-lane divided roadway, designed for higher traffic volumes than what
currently exists.
approved Page 2


Because traffic volumes are lower now and surrounding land uses have changed (residential
neighborhoods, parks, trails, etc.), the City sees an opportunity to “reimagine” the corridor to
better match current community needs.

During the study, several possible “visions” for the corridor have been developed — presented
as alternative layouts. Each concept has a similar roadway cross section, with one lane in each
direction and turn lanes at intersections. The differences in the concepts lie in the way the
pedestrians and cyclists are served:

 • Concept A — Directional/one-way bike lanes and sidewalks on each side of the road.
 • Concept B — shared-use paths (pedestrian + bike together) one both sides of the road
 • Concept C — two-way bikeway on one-side of the road and sidewalks on both sides (so
 bikes and pedestrians have dedicated separate facilities)

Each alternative tries to balance vehicle traffic flow, pedestrian/cyclist safety and comfort, and
environmental goals (green infrastructure, stormwater management).

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the study prepared a recommendation for Concept
C as the full vision, with attention to maintaining existing infrastructure where feasible when
project designs are completed. Concept C also had the highest level of public support in survey
results. They also recommended interim treatments on the corridor and at intersections to
have quicker impact on reducing speeds and improving safety on the corridor.

Questions for staff begin at 24:24 in the meeting recording.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD:

Chair Koktan used his discretion and opened the public comment period at 6:27 pm.

There was no public testimony, and all participants online were staff.

DISCUSSION:

Discussion begins at 26:55 in the meeting recording.

Among the three design options, the design including a two-way bikeway + sidewalks (Concept
C) with dedicated bike lanes and pedestrian paths, attracted the most interest, since this best
aligned with mobility, safety, and environmental goals.

Chair Koktan and Commissioner Cunningham expressed support for the findings of the study.

A public hearing for the approval of the Bloomington Ferry Rd Corridor Study will be held on
December 22nd, 2025, at City Council.

City of Bloomington
Planning Commission Synopsis December 4, 2025
approved Page 3


ACTIONS OF THE COMMISSION:

M/Cunnigham, S/White: Motion to recommend that the City Council adopt the
recommendations from the Bloomington Ferry Road Technical Advisory Committee:
 - Corridor Vision preferred alternative Concept C, with project design working to hold one curb
line to preserve some existing infrastructure, and
 - Interim safety improvements that include striping changes and intersection control
modifications, motion carried: 5-0.


 ITEM 2 APPLICANT: City of Bloomington
 6:30 p.m.
 REQUEST: Fence Standards Review

STAFF REPORT AND PRESENTATION:

The PowerPoint presentation begins at 31:12 in the meeting recording.

Planner Dylan Palmer presented an overview of potential changes to the fence standards,
which include raising the fence height limits in corner side yards, rethinking opacity
requirements, and clarifying permissible materials.

Questions for staff begin at 36:44 in the meeting recording.

There was in depth discussion regarding fence height, setbacks, opacity requirements, and
fence materials during the length of the presentation.

Specific discussions surrounding whether certain materials (e.g. plastic slats) should count
toward screening and whether they should remain permissible.

Fence height limits, especially for corner/side yards along streets, included discussion of
relaxing some limits (e.g. allowing taller fences under certain conditions) in certain areas of a
corner lot. There was mixed response to options A, B, C, and D, but option C received the most
support.

Opacity requirements — Possibly removing or altering the opacity requirement for front yard
fences was discussed. Response to this proposal was also mixed.

Material standards & screening rules — Whether certain materials (e.g. plastic slats in chainlink
fences) should count toward screening and whether they should remain permissible were
discussed. Planning Commission supported staff recommendations.



City of Bloomington
Planning Commission Synopsis December 4, 2025
 approved Page 4


 Setbacks and fence placement — Reevaluating whether fences can be on property lines and
 clarifying how setbacks from streets or sidewalks apply. Planning Commission supported the
 staff recommendation to remove this provision to avoid civil disputes.

 Definitions / code clarity — Making the fencing code easier to interpret, especially around
 exceptions (rear yards, corner lots, lots abutting non-residential uses, screening fences, etc.)

 A study session on the review of Fence Standards will be held on December 15, at City Council.

 ITEM 3 APPLICANT: City of Bloomington
 7:18 p.m.
 REQUEST: Consider approval of draft November 6, 2025, Planning
 Commission meeting synopsis

 Chair Koktan requested a motion to approve the 11/06/25 Planning Commission meeting
 synopsis.

 M/Summers, S/Munster: Motion to approve the 11/06/25 Planning Commission meeting
 synopsis, motion carried: 4-0, with Cunningham abstaining.

 ITEM 4 APPLICANT: City of Bloomington
 7:19 p.m.
 REQUEST: Planning Commission Policy and Issues Update

 Planning Manager Nick Johnson provided an overview of upcoming meetings:

 The December 11, 2025, meeting has been cancelled.

 The December 18, 2025, meeting include public hearings for a Conditional Use Permit for a
 Daycare at 403 E 78th St, a City Code Amendments for Commercial Vehicles in Residential
 Districts, a City Code Amendment for Art Incentive updates, and a City Code Amendment for
 the revised Official Height Limits Map. The Commission will also review a study item on
 adopting the 2026 Planning Commission Workplan.

 Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved by Planning Commission:
Kareem Sherard Nick Johnson December 18, 2025
 Dylan Palmer
 Shonte Brown




 City of Bloomington
 Planning Commission Synopsis December 4, 2025