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Angola planning commission approves 93,250 sq. ft. air-dome for Triune University with conditions
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Summary
The commission voted to approve a development plan allowing Triune University to build a 93,250-square-foot air-supported dome and a 2,050-square-foot entry building near Keith Bussey SCI Athletic Recreation Center, contingent on addressing plan-review and routing comments.
The Angola Planning Commission on Oct. 13 approved a development plan for Triune University for a 93,250-square-foot air-supported dome and a 2,050-square-foot attached entry building, with conditions that all plan-review and routing comments be adequately addressed.
City planning staff presented the case as Project 2025PC10001, saying the site is on Thunder Drive just south of the Keith Bussey SCI Athletic Recreation Center in a UV zoning district, and that the application is not within a floodplain. Staff recommended conditional approval and noted the Board of Zoning Appeals had granted a height variance for the project at a public hearing on Sept. 22, 2025.
The development will include an airlock entry building with two offices, mechanical and electrical rooms, and restrooms serving the dome; the entry building will be accessed from the existing parking lot, and there will be no other entry points. Staff said the dome will provide a year-round, temperature-controlled practice facility for multiple Triune University sports programs.
Mike Bach, identified in the hearing as the applicant representing Triune University, told the commission, “We’re excited about the dome project. It’ll be something unique, for not only the university, but for our community as well.” Bach said the dome was moved ahead of a larger renovation of Hershey Hall so teams would have practice space while Hershey Hall — a separate project estimated to cost about $15,000,000 — is gutted and rebuilt. “Hershey Hall was scheduled as phase 1, but the Hershey Hall project will take 18 months…So the decision was made by the board to flip flop those 2 projects and put the dome in front of Hershey Hall,” Bach said.
Bach described technical features of the dome, including four redundant inflation systems and emergency power to maintain pressure, and said the field will be artificial turf with rubber infill and multi-sport striping. He also said the dome fabric is fire resistant and that lighting will be suspended; the design includes access for emergency and maintenance vehicles and perimeter roadway access on three sides to allow snow removal and emergency response.
Planning staff and commissioners discussed permitting items and drainage. Staff noted the project is larger than one acre and that the applicant has applied for the required CSGP (construction stormwater general permit) but that permit had not yet been approved at the time of the hearing. Staff and the applicant also confirmed required restrooms would meet code; Bach said additional restrooms in adjacent softball and baseball facilities would accommodate overflow as needed.
During the hearing the commission found the development plan consistent with the City of Angola comprehensive plan (citing objectives to promote compact form and support the university as a community partner) and found the plan satisfies applicable development and construction standards, contingent on staff review comments being addressed. After a motion and second recorded in the meeting record, the commission voted to approve the development plan with the stated conditions.
The commission’s approval is conditioned on meeting all plan-review and routing comments and any other stated requirements; staff recorded that final plan compliance must be confirmed before construction permits proceed. The applicant stated foundations and turf installation would precede delivery and inflation of the dome, with occupancy targeted as early as January.
Documentation in the staff packet noted legal notice publication on Oct. 3 and that 18 property owners within 300 feet were sent notice on Oct. 2. The application materials included site photos, elevation drawings of the entry building and site configuration plans.
The commission’s action does not itself grant building permits or final inspections; those remain subject to final plan approval, permitting, and any other city or state approvals. The record shows the Board of Zoning Appeals had already granted a height variance on Sept. 22, 2025, as noted by staff.
