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Bloomington City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VI

Manufacturing District Regulations

§ 44-601 [Ch. 44, 6-1] Purpose and intent.

A. 
M-1 Restricted Manufacturing District. The intent of this M-1 Restricted Manufacturing District is to provide for industrial, warehouse, storage and transfer service uses with an absence of objectionable external effects in areas that are suitable for this type of development by reason of topography, relative location, and adequate utility and transportation systems. Compatibility with surrounding districts is further assured by limiting development to low industrial densities. Just as industrial uses are excluded from residential areas to promote public health, safety, and welfare, so are residential subdivision developments excluded from this district.
B. 
M-2 General Manufacturing District. The intent of this M-2 General Manufacturing District is to provide for the more intense types of industrial and manufacturing uses which generally exhibit higher levels of objectionable external effects. This district should not be located adjacent to residential districts, and its contiguity to commercial and business areas should, wherever possible, be avoided. Uses permitted in this district will provide for those basic industries needed to expand employment opportunities within the City.

§ 44-602 [Ch. 44, 6-2] Manufacturing District - permitted and special uses.

[Amended 12-16-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-89; 8-24-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-55; 10-24-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-99; 2-27-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-19; 9-23-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-076; 4-28-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-034; 7-28-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-048]
Refer to Article XVI, Definitions, for clarity on the uses listed.
A. 
Land uses. Uses are allowed in the Manufacturing Districts in accordance with Table 602A. The following key is to be used in conjunction with the Use Table.
(1) 
Permitted uses. A "P" indicates that a use is considered permitted within that district as of right subject to compliance with all other requirements of this Code.
(2) 
Special uses. An "S" indicates that a use is permitted, though its approval requires review by the City Council as required in Article XVII, subject to compliance with all other requirements of this Code and contingent upon conditions of approval which may be imposed by the City.
(3) 
Uses not permitted. A blank space or the absence of the use from the table indicates that the use is not permitted within that district.
(4) 
Use regulations. Many allowed uses, whether permitted by right or as a Special Use, are subject to compliance with Article XVII.
(5) 
Unlisted uses. If an application is submitted for a use not listed, the Zoning Enforcement Officer shall make a determination as to the proper zoning district and use classification for the new or unlisted use. If no permitted or special use is similar in character, intensity, and operations to that of the proposed use, a text amendment may be initiated pursuant to Article XVII to establish parameters for permitting such use within the City of Bloomington.
B. 
Allowed Uses Table.
Table 602A: Manufacturing District - Permitted and Special Uses
M-1
M-2
Reference
Agricultural
Apiary, Beekeeping
S
§ 44-1005
Aquaculture, Aquaponics, Hydroponics
P
P
Animal Breeding Services
P1
P1
Fish Hatcheries, Poultry Hatcheries
P1
P1
Horticultural Services
P
P
Urban Agriculture
P
P
Urban Garden
P
RESIDENTIAL
Household Living
Dwelling, Single-Family
P2
P2
Dwelling, Multiple-Family
S
Dwelling, Single-Family Attached
S
Live/Work
P
Group Living
Adult and Juvenile Detention Facilities
S
S
INSTITUTIONAL
Education
Business and Trade Schools
P
S
College and University Classrooms
S
Government
Animal Detention Facilities, w/o outdoor exercise area
P1
P
Animal Detention Facilities, with outdoor exercise area
S
P1
§ 44-1004
Government Services and Facilities
P
P
Military Bases, Depots, Communication Facilities
S
S
Police Stations, Fire Stations
P
P
Religious
Place of Worship
S
Other Institutional, Cultural
Emergency Shelters
P
S
§ 44-1047
COMMERCIAL
Aircraft and Automotive
Car Wash
P1
§ 44-1009
Farm Machinery Sales and Service
P1
P1
Towing Services
P1
P1
Truck Stops, Truck Plazas
P1
Truck Wash
P1
P1
Vehicle Fueling and Automobile Service Stations
P
P
Vehicle Repair and Service
P1
P1
§ 44-1034
Vehicle Rental Service
P1
P1
Vehicle Sales and Service
P1
S
Vehicle Salvage and Wrecking Operations
S
§ 44-1022
Vehicle Storage
P1
P1
Entertainment and Hospitality
Entertainment and Exhibition Venues
S
Sports and Fitness Establishments
P
Offices
Financial Services
P
General Offices, Business or Professional
P
P
Materials Testing Facility
P
P
Medical or Dental Office or Clinic
P
§ 44-1024
Medical Laboratory Facility
P
P
Printing, Copying and Mailing Services
P
P
Research Facility or Laboratory
S
P1
Personal Services
Clothing Care: Tailor, Dry Cleaning, Coin Laundry, Shoe Repair, etc.
P
Instructional Studios
S
Kennels, with no outdoor exercise areas
P1
P
Kennels, with outdoor exercise areas
S
P1
§ 44-1004
Personal Care: Barber Shop, Beauty Salon, Day Spa, etc.
P
Pet Care: Grooming, day care, training
P
P
Veterinary Office or Clinic
P3
P3
Day-care centers
S
Retail and service
Adult-use cannabis dispensing organization
S
S
44-1039
Artisanal/Craft Production and Retail
P
P
Auction Houses
P
P
Bars, Taverns, Nightclubs
P1
Building Materials and Supplies
P
P
Catering Services
P
P
Manufactured and Mobile Home Sales
P
P
§ 44-1023
Medical Marijuana Dispensing Organization
P1
P1
Restaurants, Cafeterias
P
P
Retail Sales, General
S
S
Retail Sales, Outdoor
P1
P
Specialty Food Shops
S
S
INDUSTRIAL
Manufacturing and Production, Light
Apparel, Fabrics, Leather Industries
P
P
Commercial Cleaning and Repair Services
P
P
Commercial Community Kitchen
P
P
Crematories
S3
S3
Electronics Assembly Plants
P
P
Fabricated Metal Industries
P1
P
Furniture and Fixtures Industries
P
P
Lumber and Wood Industries
P
P
Professional, Scientific Industries
P
P
Secondary Manufacturing Assembly Plants
S
P
Textile Mill Products Industries
P1
Trade and Construction Services
P
P
Wholesaling, Distribution and Storage Facilities
P1
P1
Manufacturing and Production, Heavy
Asphaltic Concrete Plants
S
§ 44-1006
Chemicals and Allied Industries
P
Food and Kindred Industries
P1
P
Paper and Allied Products Industry
P
P
Petroleum Refining, Related Uses
S
Mining, Quarrying
S
§ 44-1025
Primary Metal Industries
P
Recycling Facility
S
§ 44-1028
Refractory Lined Pit Burners
S
§ 44-1029
Refuse Disposal Services
S
§ 44-1028
Rubber and Plastic Industries
P
Sanitary Landfills
S
§ 44-1028
Solid Waste Disposal Area
S
§ 44-1028
Stone, Clay, Glass Industries
S
P
Waste Transfer Station
S
§ 44-1028
Storage and Equipment Yards
Aircraft Storage
P
P
Composting Facility
P
P
Data Centers
P1
P
§ 44-1048
Junkyards
S
§ 44-1022
Marine Craft Storage, Marinas
P1
P1
Mini Warehouses
P1
P1
§ 44-1026
Parking Lot, Commercial
P1
P1
Petroleum Products Storage
P
P
Railroad Marshalling Yards
S
Warehouse
P
P
Transportation
Bus and Taxi Passenger Terminals
P
Heliports, Heliport Terminals
S
S
Rail Passenger Terminals
P
Utilities
Electricity or Natural Gas Production Plant
S
Nuclear Power Plant
S
Private Solar Energy Conversion Facilities
P
P
§ 44-1031
Private Wind Energy Conversion Facilities
P
P
§ 44-1036
Public or Private Utility Facility, Minor
P
P
Radio, Television Stations-Towers
P
P
Wireless Communication Facilities
P4
P4
§ 44-1037
Light Industrial Uses Not Elsewhere Classified
S
P1
Heavy Industrial Uses Not Elsewhere Classified
S
Notes:
1.
A Special Use is required when the use adjoins a Residential District boundary line.
2.
The dwelling unit is allowed only as an accessory residence, intended for occupancy by watchmen or caretakers of business or industrial uses permitted in that zoning district.
3.
A structure containing a Crematory shall be located no closer than 300 feet to a Residential District boundary line.
4.
The use is permitted as a principal use provided that the maximum height of the Wireless Communication Facility shall not exceed one foot for each two feet that such Wireless Communication Facility is set back from Protected Residential Property.

§ 44-603 [Ch. 44, 6-3] Site development standards.

A. 
Site Dimensions Table. All development in Manufacturing Districts must comply with the requirements in Table 603A and Diagram 603A unless otherwise expressly stated.
Diagram 603A
044 Lot Characteristics and Site Design(4).tif
Table 603A: Bulk and Site Standards Manufacturing Districts
District
Lot Characteristics
Site Design
Development Intensity
Min. Lot Width
(W)
Min. Lot Area
(square feet)
Front Yard
(F)
Side Yard
(S)
Rear Yard
(R)
Floor Area Ratio
(FAR)
Max. Building Height
Min.
Min.
Min.
Feet
Stories
M-1
—
—
20 feet
Min. 5 feet or 1/3 of building height for buildings > 3 stories
1.0
—
—
M-2
—
—
—
—
1.0
—
—

§ 44-604 [Ch. 44, 6-4] General standards.

A. 
On-site development standards. See Article IX, General Provisions, for various on-site development standards such as exterior lighting requirements, permitted encroachments, temporary sales, accessory uses and structures. In addition to the requirements of Article X and Table 603A, the following regulations apply.
(1) 
Lots zoned to the M-1 and M-2 District that are adjacent to a Residential District shall provide transitional front, side and rear yards as follows:
(a) 
Front Yard adjoining a Residential District: equal to the required front yard of the adjacent Residential District.
(b) 
Side Yard adjoining a Residence District: equal to 10 feet plus the required minimum side yard of the adjacent Residential District.
(c) 
Rear Yard: adjoining a Residential District equal to 15 feet plus the required minimum rear yard of the adjacent Residential District.
(2) 
The transitional yard shall be maintained free of buildings, structures, parking facilities or outdoor storage; provided, however, that parking may be permitted in a rear transitional yard if such parking is located no closer than 10 feet from the rear property line and screening is provided pursuant to Article XIII.
B. 
Use provisions. See Article X, Use Provisions, for standards governing permitted and special uses.
C. 
Off-street parking and loading. See Article XII, Off-Street Parking and Loading, for standards governing off-street parking and loading.
D. 
Landscaping. See Article XIII, Landscaping and Screening, for standards regarding landscaping and screening.
E. 
Signs. See Article XIV, Signs, for standards governing the type, placement, size and scale of signs.

§ 44-605 [Ch. 44, 6-5] Development standards applicable to manufacturing districts.

A. 
Industrial transition areas.
(1) 
Purpose. Industrial Transition Areas are those areas where, due to changes in adjoining land use or infrastructure over time, the use and development of parcels has shifted from strictly manufacturing to a mix of lower intensity uses such as offices and commercial.
(2) 
Location. Parcels in the M-1 District that abut vacated rail right-of-way that has been converted to public use (e.g., Constitution Trail) or a Residential District are considered Industrial Transition Areas.
(3) 
Land use. Land uses permitted in said Industrial Transition Areas shall be those listed in the M-1 District. For residential, entertainment and hospitality, personal services and retail and service uses that require a special use, the Zoning Board of Appeals shall consider the following factors, in addition to the standards in § 44-1707.
[Amended 10-24-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-99]
(a) 
Whether the proposed use is compatible with adjoining uses and will not suffer from nor impose new conflicts associated with noise, lighting, odors, hours of operation, vehicle movement and pedestrian safety, or additional factors specific to the location of the special use.
(b) 
Whether an adequate buffer is provided on the subject property, with respect to physical separation and visual screening, to minimize visual impacts associated with adjoining lawful manufacturing uses.
(c) 
Whether noise attenuation, barriers, and other mitigating factors shall be installed in new buildings for noise sensitive uses (such as dwelling units and offices) to reduce noise impacts associated with adjoining lawful manufacturing uses.
(d) 
Whether any site contamination exists on the subject property that may present an immediate or future impact to the health and safety of building occupants.
B. 
Outdoor storage.
(1) 
Outdoor storage of merchandise, materials, equipment, and vehicles is permitted in a Manufacturing District subject to the conditions provided herein.
(2) 
Screening for outdoor storage areas shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of § 44-1308B.
(3) 
Outdoor storage areas shall be paved with a hard surface consistent with the standards of § 44-1206F, except that storage of landscape and building materials associated with horticultural services and building materials and supply establishments may be placed on an alternate surface of gravel or decomposed granite.