Covington planners approve rezoning for Boys and Girls Club site

The City of Covington Planning and Zoning Commission approved a rezoning request to change Lot 1A, Square 2904 (the corner of West 29th Avenue and North Tyler Street) from neighborhood commercial to institutional to allow the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Louisiana to build an approximately 8,500-square-foot facility.

The change allows uses listed under the institutional classification, including community centers, schools and recreational facilities — uses the petitioner said are needed to support youth programs in the neighborhood.

Jeff Shane, an attorney with the Jones Hussell law firm representing the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Louisiana, said the club submitted a preliminary site plan and had calculated setbacks, buffers and parking. “We would respectfully request that you consider recommending the change of zoning into institutional, again, to allow the Boys and Girls Club to do their thing in our great city,” Shane said.

City staff and commissioners discussed the permitted uses under the institutional (ID) classification. City staff noted section 3.19 (ID) in the zoning code and identified permitted uses including community centers, schools, private schools, recreational facilities and accessory uses "customarily incidental to the above permitted uses." Staff explained the institutional designation was appropriate because the proposed program is a mix of those uses and because institutional zoning allows buildings larger than the 5,000-square-foot limit that applies under the current neighborhood commercial zoning.

Commissioners voted to approve the rezoning. The roll call recorded votes as: Commissioner Boone — yes; Commissioner Celestine — yes; Commissioner Bert Dubic — yes; Commissioner Bullock — abstain; Commissioner Hudson — yes. The motion was recorded as approved.

The petitioner and staff did not identify additional permitting or timeline details at the meeting; no public speakers opposed the request during the hearing.