(ANGOLA) - Steuben County Plan Commission members spent part of Wednesday night's meeting discussing the creation of a committee that would begin reviewing how the county should prepare for possible casino development in the future.
The discussion came just hours after Steuben County Commissioners voted to move a casino gambling referendum toward the November ballot.
Commission members said the county's current zoning and development rules were not written to specifically address casino projects and may need updates if casino gambling is eventually approved by voters.
Much of the discussion focused on forming a committee that would study possible zoning changes, infrastructure concerns, location restrictions, and lessons learned from other Indiana communities with casinos.
Commission members discussed involving representatives from several areas and interests across the county, including Angola, Fremont, Ashley-Hudson, lake communities, and agricultural areas.
Members also discussed reaching out to other Indiana communities that have already dealt with casino-related development issues in order to study what worked well and what problems emerged later.
The commission did not formally appoint the committee Wednesday night, but members agreed to begin gathering names and recommendations before the next meeting. Several commission members volunteered to participate.
Other Business
Discussion later expanded into broader concerns involving future large-scale developments beyond casinos, including data centers. Members discussed groundwater protection concerns, changing cooling technology, and the difficulty counties face keeping local ordinances current as development trends and state regulations evolve rapidly.
Earlier in the meeting, the commission unanimously approved a request from Timothy McConahay to close a 15-foot easement between two properties in Wildwood Third Addition near Turkey Lake.
McConahay told the commission the alleyway had never been used for public access and said neighboring properties already have their own lake access points. He said he hopes to eventually build a garage on the property.