Bloomington, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 9 § 9.19
PARKING REDUCTION (Bloomington Housing Opportunity and Preservation Ordinance)
Operative Text
(a) To incentivize the creation of opportunity housing units, a residential development with at least 9% of its total dwelling units affordable to households at or below 50% of AMI qualifies for car parking reductions provided that the development agreement required pursuant to § 9.35 affirms that the owner will not charge opportunity housing units in the residential development for access to parking. Potential parking reduction incentives are based upon the level of affordability as follows: Affordability provided: Projects located in the Designated Transit Area, Tier I: Projects located in the Designated Transit Area, Tier II: Projects located outside a Designated Transit Area: 9% of dwelling units qualifying as very low or extremely low income 15% 10% 5% 20% of dwelling units qualifying as very low income 25% 20% 10% 50% of dwelling units qualifying as very low income or 20% of dwelling units qualifying as extremely low income 35% 30% 15% 100% of dwelling units qualifying as very low income or 50% of dwelling units qualifying as extremely low income 45% 40% 20% (b) The car parking reductions provided in this section are not cumulative. Each qualifying development is eligible for only one parking reduction of 5% to 45% depending upon the level of affordability provided. (c) In mixed use developments, potential parking reduction incentives may only be applied to the parking requirement created by the residential portion of the development. (d) Opportunity housing units must have access to parking spaces that are comparable in quality and design to parking spaces accessible to market rate units. For example, if a development has enclosed and unenclosed parking spaces, the development agreement required pursuant to § 9.35 will affirm that the availability of enclosed and unenclosed parking spaces to opportunity housing dwelling units will be proportional to the availability of enclosed and unenclosed parking spaces to market rate units. (e) If a development seeks a parking reduction incentive at or above 30%, the City Engineer or their designee may require a parking study, prepared by an independent traffic engineering professional, to help the City Council determine if the parking incentive reduction is appropriate for a particular development, or if it should be adjusted, when there is evidence that the proposed parking supply reduction may negatively impact the surrounding public roadway network or adjacent land uses. (f) Co-living units. Co-living units are not eligible for car parking reductions in this section. (Ord. 2019-16 , passed 2-25-2019; Ord. 2021-1 , passed 3-8-2021; Ord. 2022-30 , passed 6-6-2022; Ord. 2024-5 , passed 3-18-2024; Ord. 2025-07 , passed 4-28-2025)
Bloomington, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 9.19 establishes a tiered parking reduction incentive for residential developments that include a minimum of 9% of their units affordable to households at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Depending on the depth of affordability offered and whether the project sits within a Designated Transit Area, a qualifying development may reduce its required car parking by anywhere from 5% to 45%. These reductions are not stackable — only one reduction tier applies per project — and co-living units are explicitly excluded from eligibility. In mixed-use projects, the reduction may only be applied to the parking requirement generated by the residential portion.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 9.19, developers and property owners pursuing a parking reduction must ensure that the development agreement required by § 9.35 formally commits to providing opportunity housing units with free access to parking and with parking spaces comparable in quality and design to those available to market-rate residents. Operators should document the proportional availability of different parking types (e.g., enclosed vs. unenclosed) to demonstrate compliance with the equity requirements of the provision. For projects seeking reductions at or above 30%, owners should be prepared for the City Engineer to require an independent parking study before the City Council approves the reduction.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 9.19 of the Bloomington Code of Ordinances includes protections specifically for residents of opportunity housing units: they must not be charged for parking access, and the parking available to them must be comparable in quality and design to what market-rate tenants receive. Tenants who believe their development is not honoring these commitments — for example, if they are being charged for parking or given access only to inferior spaces — may review the development agreement referenced in § 9.35 to understand what was formally committed. Tenant-rights organizations or a housing attorney familiar with Bloomington's ordinances can help residents understand what remedies or complaint processes may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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