HANSON, KY (WFIE) -
The City of Hanson could soon allow coal mining in parts of the community, but if approved, that would mean changes to the current zoning ordinance.
Right now, the City of Hanson doesn't allow mining within city limits, but talks are to allow it on the outskirts of town where it's more rural.
Several landowners have pushed to have certain areas of Hanson mined, and it's something that's been talked about for months now.
"I see both sides. I want them to and I don't want them to," business owner Kathy Pepper Baczek.
Hanson Mayor Charles Young and the rest of the city met with the Hopkins County joint planning commission to discuss possible changes to their ordinance to allow Alliance Coal to mine deep underground.
"They're talking about mining 450-700 foot deep in the outskirts, so it's not a surface mine," Young said.
Some residents have expressed concern about how it may affect residential areas or downtown, but Alliance Coal has plans to avoid those parts of town.
"The concern of the residents is mining under their houses and they (Alliance Coal) say they're not going to. They gave us an overlay to show that it wouldn't be over any homes, existing homes, or businesses," Young said.
Kathy Pepper Baczek owns a local business and is happy to hear that the mining won't affect downtown.
"They said it was going to be further up that way, so I just didn't want it underneath the town here because the building is so old," Baczek said.
Young says this isn't something the city is pushing for to make a profit. It's the residents who live on that property who will, and they're just looking into ways to give those landowners as much value to their property as possible.
"We need the city people to understand that we're doing what we can do but we're going to have to go with what we think it best for everybody," Young said.
The planning commission will meet with the city to discuss potential amendments. No date has been set for when that might be but it should be within the next couple months.
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