Newton County commissioners overrule planning panel, grant 12-month extension for Covington Creek preliminary plat

The Newton County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 7 voted 3-2 to overturn a November denial by the county planning commission and grant a 12-month extension for the preliminary plat for Covington Creek Springs, a proposed 71-lot, 29.05-acre single-family subdivision on Fairview Road in District 3.

The extension will be subject to conditions: the preliminary plat is extended for 12 months for ground stabilization and infrastructure completion; a final plat for a phase or the entire subdivision must be approved within 12 months of the extension; and all outstanding comments from Development Services, Transportation, the Water Authority, Environmental Health, the Fire Department, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (as applicable) must be addressed before a final plat is accepted.

The applicant is listed as Covington Creek Holdings LLC. Thomas Mitchell, attorney for the applicant, told commissioners the site has been substantially developed and that the company has invested heavily. "The development is almost 80% complete," Mitchell said, adding that…