City of Bloomington Moves to Remove Barriers to Housing, Jobs, and Local Investment with Changes to Development Review and Permitting

The City of Bloomington commissioned a comprehensive audit by American Structurepoint, a full-service architecture and engineering firm, to identify ways to improve how plans are submitted and permits are obtained for home, business, and construction projects. The City has now outlined its next steps in response to the audit’s findings.

The audit examined the City’s project review and permitting practices through stakeholder sessions, a review of completed and active applications, and conversations with employees from the Planning and Transportation Department, City of Bloomington Utilities, Engineering, Information & Technology Services, and other departments involved in the process. Participants included design professionals, local business owners, small-project applicants, developers, builders, and contractors.

“My commitment to advancing housing and economic development demands we address every opportunity for improvement.  The effects of permitting are impacting our ability to thrive as a city,” said Mayor Kerry Thomson. “Permitting shapes whether a family can build a home, whether a local business can open or expand, and whether employers can attract people who are also able to live here. A strong permitting process ensures a clear and dependable process for creating a built environment that protects the standards our community has set. It is not the only answer to Bloomington’s housing and economic challenges, but it is an important part of how we turn community goals into a thriving Bloomington where everyone has a place to belong.”

The recommended changes are intended to make City requirements easier to understand, provide applicants with a single coordinated response, offer tools and support to City staff, and create a more reliable path from application to decision. They do not change what may be built, where projects may be located, or whether a particular application should be approved. Those decisions will continue to be governed by Bloomington’s adopted plans, codes, public hearings, and legal requirements.

The report recommends that the City:

• Make fuller use of its Electronic Permitting and Licensing system, which the City’s Information & Technology Services Department has already begun updating.
• Have departments involved in reviewing the same application conduct their reviews at the same time, so conflicting directions can be identified and resolved before it reaches the applicant.
• Focus review comments on code compliance, cite the relevant code, and create shared checklists so applicants understand what is required.
• Set and monitor expectations for review timelines so applicants know when to expect comments and decisions.
• Clarify staff roles, strengthen training, and assign responsibility for applications from intake through decision.

The report also identifies longer-term considerations for creating a more centralized and coordinated permitting experience. Those ideas will be considered after the City implements and evaluates improvements to its existing systems.

Planning and implementation of the audit recommendations will be led by Lynn Coyne, who will serve as Interim Director of the City of Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department following Director David Hittle’s departure on July 10. Hittle has accepted a position with the City of Charlotte, North Carolina. Coyne will coordinate implementation across Planning and Transportation, Utilities, Engineering, Information & Technology Services, and other participating departments. If confirmed by the Plan Commission, Coyne will begin serving in July 2026.

“Bloomington has been home to much of my professional and civic life, and I care deeply about how we make room for the housing, businesses, and community investments residents need,” Coyne said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help turn these recommendations into practical improvements. This will be a shared effort, and I look forward to working closely with City of Bloomington Utilities Director Katherine Zaiger and the utilities team to make the process more dependable for everyone who uses it.”

The final audit and its recommendations are available at bloomington.in.gov/news/2026/07/07/6593.