LaGRANGE, IND. - Officials in LaGrange County, Sturgis Township and the city of Sturgis are moving ahead with plans to make S.R. 9 and M-66 near the Indiana Toll Road a drawing card for travelers.

The newly formed Indiana-Michigan Regional Development Committee met Monday in LaGrange to report progress in its corridor development plan.

The committee is comprised of municipal, chamber of commerce and economic development officials.  It is chaired by Gary Zehr, president of the LaGrange County Redevelopment Commission, and Todd Campbell, interim city manager, Sturgis.

"We’ve been discussing this idea with Michigan for a lot of years," Zehr said. "Now we’ve put some money into a study. We still have a lot of T’s to cross and I’s to dot before the first shovel of dirt is thrown at a groundbreaking."

All three communities will have to iron out zoning issues with a proposed zoning "overlay" plan that affects only the designated corridor area. This means that LaGrange, Sturgis Township and the city of Sturgis must standardize zoning on land surrounding the toll road interchange from Bogen Road at M-66 and to S.R. 200 North in Indiana.

The committee must agree on issues including zoning for parking, lighting, signage, buildings and setbacks.

Todd Campbell said that extending water and sewer lines to the state line must also be addressed. A project study that would cost about $8,000 is the first step, he said.

Campbell outlined some possible questions. If the water-sewage lines are extended, should a meter be put at the state line? What about a water tower? How would customers be billed?

LaGrange officials are already planning to expand their Tax Increment Financing District behind the Holiday Inn Express at 45 West-750 North in Howe. A road that now ends with a turnaround would be extended through a wooded area for about 1/2 mile.

"This project looks to be more reality in a shorter period of time," Zehr said. Once we extend the road we would keep industry 600 feet from the toll road. We don’t want manufacturing butted up against the toll road."

Zehr said a row of attractive commercial buildings could be built to face the toll road to attract travelers to stop.

The committee announced that periodic meetings will be held to update the public on its progress.

"Doing this right is more important than the speed of it," Zehr said. "It would be nice to have this started the sooner the better. But what we have achieved so far is a common agreement among three communities that we want to make this work."