FORT WAYNE, IND. (WOWO). — A proposed large-scale quarry and mixed-use development in southwest Allen County is drawing attention from residents, nearby institutions, and county officials as the early stages of the approval process begin.

County leaders say the proposal involves more than 1,600 acres near Interstate 69 and could include a limestone quarry, industrial development, and commercial construction near the new hospital campus.

Appearing on Fort Wayne’s Morning News with Kayla Blakeslee, Allen County Commissioner Ron Turpin outlined the scope of the project and emphasized that the proposal is still at the beginning of the county’s review process.

“The application process has just started,” Turpin said during the interview. “There are still a lot of pieces of this to go.”

Scope of the proposal

According to Turpin, the development application was submitted last week by a company affiliated with The Heritage Group. The firm has notified the county that it is under contract to purchase roughly 1,600 acres in southwest Allen County.

Turpin described the area as roughly bordered by Interstate 69 on the east, Homestead Road on the west, the new IU Health hospital campus on the south, and an area north of that corridor extending toward existing rural land.

“To give it in perspective, 1,600 acres is almost two and a half square miles,” Turpin said. “So it’s a huge parcel of property.”

The proposal currently includes three primary components:

• A quarry covering approximately 524 acres

• Commercial development of roughly 200 acres near the hospital campus

• Industrial zoning for about 186 acres adjacent to Interstate 69

“There’s a lot going on that’s there,” Turpin said.

Early stage of approval process

Turpin addressed concerns from residents who have contacted county officials and local media expressing the belief that the project has already been finalized.

“I’ve heard the same thing, where people say, ‘Oh well, it’s a done deal,’” Turpin said. “That is just not accurate.”

He explained that the development has only begun the formal application process with the county’s Department of Planning Services. Multiple steps remain before any approvals could be granted.

“There is a process that has to be followed, and the process will be followed here,” Turpin said.

Different components of the project would move through separate regulatory channels.

The quarry proposal itself would be reviewed by the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals, which operates independently of the county commissioners.

“For the quarry, that would be through the Board of Zoning Appeals,” Turpin said. “That’s one that the commissioners don’t have direct control over.”

However, the industrial and commercial portions would require rezoning requests that ultimately go before the Allen County Board of Commissioners.

“So for the industrial and the shopping center, those are both rezoning requests which do go through the Board of Commissioners,” Turpin said.

Turpin estimated that public hearings related to the project are likely six weeks to two months away, meaning discussions could begin sometime in May.

Environmental review and regulatory oversight

Questions about environmental impacts have also surfaced, particularly given the location’s proximity to wetlands and drainage systems.

Turpin said multiple state agencies would review environmental considerations even if the project clears local zoning requirements.

“This is an area that has a lot of challenges,” Turpin said. “It is a wetland. It is a floodplain. It has huge drains that go through that property.”

He said projects like quarries must also receive approvals from the state.

“They still have to go through the Department of Environmental Management for approval and a number of other state agencies to make sure this is an appropriate use of that land,” Turpin said.

Long-term implications

Turpin noted that quarry developments typically operate for decades, making the decision particularly significant for local planning.

“These quarries aren’t for five or ten years,” Turpin said. “They’re for 50 to 100 years. So it’s a big decision that has to look at all the pieces.”

He also pointed to operational factors such as blasting, which is commonly used in quarry operations.

“Part of this, for a quarry, they have blasting,” Turpin said. “So how does that impact the residents there? How does that impact the hospital? Those are all questions that need to be asked and answered before decisions are made.”

Infrastructure and construction economics

Turpin also explained that quarries can play a role in lowering construction costs by supplying locally sourced stone used in building and road construction.

“We need quarries,” he said. “We have development going on. For that, you need rock.”

He added that transportation is often the largest cost factor in construction materials.

“It’s not the rock that’s so expensive,” Turpin said. “It’s the trucking to move it from point A to point B. The closer your quarry is, the cheaper your costs are to build.”

Proximity to hospital and neighborhoods

The proposed development area lies near the new campus operated by IU Health. Turpin said hospital officials have been contacted about the potential project.

“I know I’ve had some conversations with those folks that say, ‘Do you know about this? How does this impact you?’” Turpin said.

He added that the developer has begun outreach efforts with nearby communities.

“I will say for Heritage Group, they have reached out to those folks,” Turpin said. “They have reached out to neighbors. So they are being proactive in meeting with people and talking about what the impact is for that community.”

Meetings with residents in nearby neighborhoods are expected to begin soon.

What happens next

According to Turpin, the next step is for the developer to complete its formal application with county planning officials. Once that is finished, public meetings and hearings will be scheduled.

“The first piece is once the application is completed,” Turpin said. “I’ve been told it’s not completed yet.”

He said the first public hearing would likely occur before the Board of Zoning Appeals, followed by hearings before the county planning commission and commissioners related to rezoning requests.

Those hearings would provide opportunities for public input.

“If this is something that you’re concerned about, help educate yourself, but then also show up,” Turpin said. “This is one of those times where if people have a concern or passion, people do listen.”

County officials say residents should expect additional information and public meeting announcements in the coming weeks as the review process moves forward.