A new report outlined concerns ahead of an expected influx of new residents to Elizabethtown and Hardin County.
The Elizabethtown-Fort Knox MSA Transformation Project was a study commissioned by the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce. It was released in its entirety on Tuesday.
The Blue Oval SK Battery Plant in Glendale is expected to create 5,000 new jobs. In return, the reports stated Hardin County’s population will likely grow by more than 22,000.
That means there is a need for more housing, more schools, and more hospital beds. According to the report, Hardin County lacks nearly 9,000 housing units.
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said Elizabethtown and Hardin County were short on housing before BlueOval SK announced its coming to the area. Developers have been working on solving that issue with 4,000 different units already.
Gregory said he would like to see that 4,000 number triple. The report also indicated Hardin County would need 75 more hospital beds and more than 700 new healthcare jobs.
The report also addressed concerns about Hardin County Government’s leadership and preparedness.
Newly-elected Judge Executive Keith Taul said he feels pretty confident they will be able to handle it.
This report also made suggestions about Elizabethtown annexing additional land and changing planning and zoning guidelines to allow for denser housing opportunities.
Source: WAVE
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