Heated public hearing in Covington over proposed sale of South America Street right-of-way in Favreville; no council action on record

A public hearing before the Covington City Council on April 1 drew more than a dozen speakers and sharply divided neighbors over whether the city should sell a 0.82-acre unopened right-of-way on South America Street in the Favreville neighborhood (item 2025-04-02). The transcript does not record a council vote or final decision on the item.

Paul Marrone, speaking for Favreville LLC, urged the council to concur with the planning commission and sell the unopened right-of-way to his clients. Marrone said the parcel is an "unopened right of way" used only as a gravel driveway now, that public safety problems have increased there, and that the sale would allow adjoining owners to combine the land and enable commercial or residential construction.

"The city has no need for this right of way," Marrone said, asking the council to move the request that night. He told the council the owner along Collins Boulevard lost 50 feet to a state widening decades ago, leaving a narrow remnant, and said his clients own adjacent parcels and have neighbor consent to proceed.

Speakers from the Favreau family and other neighbors backed the Favreville LLC petition. Baldwin Reid, who said he grew up in Favreville, described an escalation of traffic, vandalism and harassment since Mr. Frederick began inviting people to use the unopened right-of-way and urged the council to protect residents. Michael Bell and other Favreau descendants presented historical surveys and said South America Street historically ended at a cul-de-sac and was never improved to the Frederick house, citing surveys and photographs.

Several neighbors described incidents they said were caused or encouraged by the Fredericks, including increased through traffic, vandalism to a private tennis court on the parcel, and social-media posts that residents characterized as harassment. "We have hard evidence ... videos, audio, pictures," Michelle Murphy said, asking the council to consider neighborhood safety.

By contrast, Jennifer Frederick, who said she lives at 830 South New Hampshire, argued the strip has been used by the public and cannot be sold if there is any public use. Reading a letter from her husband, she said that "for 65 years, South America Street was used by the public and maintained by the city," that the dirt covering part of the street was placed without a permit and blocks drainage, and that removing that dirt was their pending application. "If there is any public use for this property, the street cannot be sold," she said.

Other commenters raised procedural and legal concerns. Jamieson Bagwell argued the council should not favor one buyer and warned that selling to a single party could prompt litigation; he suggested a public auction or otherwise equitable process. Alex Perugene pushed back on the Favreville petitioners' procedural argument and said Mr. Frederick had an application pending with the city to remove fill more than two years earlier.

No formal motion or roll-call vote on item 2025-04-02 appears in the provided transcript excerpt; council members set and enforced a public-comment order and heard more than a dozen speakers. Speakers repeatedly referenced the city's subdivision ordinance (section 5.1(c)(7)) and planning commission proceedings; Paul Marrone said those subdivision provisions apply only to new plats and are not a bar to the requested sale.

The debate centered on competing claims: petitioners seeking a sale said the parcel has been an unopened right-of-way and that sale to Favreville LLC would preserve access for neighbors and address safety; opponents said the strip is public land in use and has historical significance, and they seek remediation of drainage and other concerns without a sale. Several commenters warned the council that a sale directed to a single owner could invite court challenges.