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Board grants parking and fill variances to Christ Episcopal, subject to landscape plan review
Summary
The Board approved variances allowing Christ Episcopal Church and School to reconfigure and hard‑surface parking on both sides of South New Hampshire Street and to permit limited fill for about 15% of the northern parking area. Approval is contingent on staff review of a detailed landscape plan.
The City of Covington Board of Adjustments approved variances requested by Christ Episcopal Church and School to reconfigure two parking areas on South New Hampshire Street and to permit fill for part of the northern parking lot, with the condition that the applicant submit a detailed landscaping plan to staff for review.
Case number 25‑01‑05 covered multiple relief requests: variances from street planting and buffer planting requirements, adjustments to landscape and tree preservation standards, and a request under the building code to allow additional fill for up to roughly 15% of one parking area. Church representatives said the work would hard‑surface degraded gravel parking and extend sidewalks, improving safety for parishioners, school families and pedestrians.
Attorney Jeff Shane, representing the church and school, said the plans would reconfigure drop areas, add sidewalks and “put in a hedge type of greenery” to provide more visible green scape than the worn gravel lots now provide. He told commissioners the church expects public spillover parking for downtown events and that improvements are intended to create safer, more durable parking surfaces.
Neighbors and a church representative discussed tree removal and screening. The church said it had a licensed arborist conduct a tree survey and that most trees slated for removal were not protected species; the church also said it planted clump bamboo as interim screening for an adjacent neighbor. A neighbor who lives across from the school said moving bus parking out of East 20th and into the reconfigured lot would improve emergency access on that narrow street.
The board voted to approve the variances with one commissioner opposed to the plan as presented, and staff will require a detailed landscape plan for administrative review. The roll call was Butler — yes; Gilley — no; Williams — yes; Lucas — yes; Romage — yes.
Votes at a glance: Case 25‑01‑05 — variances for parking reconfiguration, buffers/planting and fill for parking areas associated with Christ Episcopal Church and School. Motion: approve subject to staff landscaping approval. Outcome: approved (4–1).
