Planning commission recommends sale of 0.82 acres of South America Street after months-long dispute

The City of Covington Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council approve the sale of a roughly 0.82-acre portion of South America Street to petitioner Fabbroville LLC, the commission decided after hours of public testimony and staff presentations.

The recommendation comes amid a long-running dispute among neighbors over whether the unopened right of way should remain public. Supporters said the sale would resolve safety and trespass problems and return the land to private ownership; opponents argued the city should preserve public access and maintain utilities and drainage.

City staff told commissioners the portion under consideration is largely unopened and that the administration has found no record of routine maintenance or drainage work beyond Sixteenth Avenue. Jim O'Berry, identified in the meeting as the city's public works director, said bringing the lane up to a usable through street would require a near-complete rebuild and…