The lot split at 8350 Amstel Ridge Drive has been approved. Councilmember Nelson had asked twice for more time on it. When the item came back, Nelson told colleagues the proposed plat meets all city code requirements, even though some residents in the neighborhood had objected. The council then approved the preliminary and final plat, which lets the split go ahead.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNAfter holding the item at two prior meetings to research city code and cross-reference zoning definitions, Councilmember Nelson said the proposed plat at 8350 Amstel Ridge Drive meets all city code requirements despite some residents' objections raised in the neighborhood.07/20
Getting there took some time. The request was a lot separation in the Olive Isle addition, and neighbors argued over an existing garage and its setback from the property line. At one meeting, Nelson asked to table the item to July 20 to get answers. Part of the question was whether the structure counted as "habitable space" under the building code, since that would affect how the rules apply to it. Staff confirmed that the structure had been damaged in April, which added another wrinkle to the question of what was on the lot and how the code should treat it.
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In all, the council held the item at 2 meetings while staff went back through city code and cross-checked the zoning definitions. For a single residential lot split, that's a lot of attention. Plats like this usually pass without much discussion. Here the neighborhood pushed back, and the definitions mattered enough that council members wanted them settled before voting.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNCouncil member Nelson requested more time to get answers on a garage/setback dispute tied to a proposed lot separation on Amden Ridge Drive (Olive Isle addition), including questions about the definition of 'habitable space' under the building code.06/29
In the end, the answer was the one Nelson gave from the dais: once the definitions were checked, the plat met the code. That's the standard the council has to apply. Neighbors may not like what a split does to their block, but if a plat meets the city's rules, the council has little room to turn it down.
With the preliminary and final plat approved, the council's part is done. For the Olive Isle area, that ends a dispute that started the first time this plat came up for a vote. The council has no further vote scheduled on it.
From the meetings: City Council Meeting, July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting, June 29, 2026.
