Smart Growth

Position:
The Chamber supports the wise use of land by concentrating growth around the existing urban areas of Elkhart County, thereby ensuring that new residential, commercial and industrial development has the benefit of city utilities and other city services while maintaining farm land and open spaces as much as growth will allow. In addition, we would encourage the county and our cities and towns to coordinate their planning efforts to reinforce smart growth and the efficient uses of infrastructure and other community resources. Also, we encourage strict enforcement of restricted access to the newly improved CR17 and its further extension south; we support the elimination of exemptions to the county subdivision ordinance; and we oppose the creation of county-wide or rural regional sewer districts that would facilitate nonurban residential growth.