WQXE News

With summertime comes summer heat, so parents and caregivers should take extra steps to make sure children do not get left behind in a hot vehicle.

“On just a sunny 60 degree day, it can be up to 110 degrees in the car,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Especially with our hot and humid area around here in the Ohio River Valley, the other thing to think about is a car’s temperature can rise 19 to 20 degrees in about 10 minutes.”

Crane says many new cars have alerts on the dash reminding you to check the backseat, but you can also make reminders for yourself.

“Set an alarm on your phone,” Crane said. “Tell somebody to text you. When you get to work, have them text you ‘How did Johnny do today at care?’ Maybe use a stuffed animal to put in the car seat when the child is not there and then put it in the front seat with you when the child is in the seat, that way you’ve got a visual reminder there.”

If you see a child locked in a hot car, verify that the child is alone and then take action.

“Try to communicate with the child,” Crane said. “Call 911, and get the child out if the child looks like they’re in distress. If they’re not communicating, it looks like they’re sweating a lot and everything, try to get that child out. There are laws that protect good Samaritans in an honest situation.”

Keep keys away from children and keep cars locked so you can keep kids out of the car when you are not there.

Elizabethtown Planning and Development Director Joe Reverman says the city began developing proposed residential zoning text amendments after discussions last year with the Elizabethtown Planning Commission about new developments in the area amidst recent growth.

“And a lot of that was residential developments that have been seen across the country since the Great Recession,” Reverman said. “There’s been a lot of market demand changes since that time, mainly with the increase in apartment projects and the market demand for smaller lots.”

Reverman discussed the proposed amendments during the Elizabethtown City Council’s June 9 work session. He said the goal of the amendments is to align zoning with the city’s comprehensive plan while allowing more flexibility and creativity for developers. He also said the amendments will help eliminate what he calls “unnecessary rezonings” and address housing needs.

“People have asked for rezoning for a zoning district where they don’t need the zoning change to increase density, they just want smaller lot sizes or some other regulation that’s in another zoning district that doesn’t require additional density, and then we want to incentivize certain types of developments and then of course create new housing types to increase supply and increase affordability,” Reverman said.

Proposed changes include amended lot size and setback standards, amended standards for short-term rentals, the creation of Planned Development and Conservation districts, and allowing for residential developments in commercial districts.

“It allows an immediate increase in the potential supply of housing in our community because we have a lot of commercial zone property, so if you just allow residential in that zoning district, you’ve automatically got a lot more land for residential developments, and residential in commercial zoning districts has very limited impact on existing residential areas,” Reverman said.

Contact the Elizabethtown Planning and Development Office for more information.