Covington Council denies appeal, sustains zoning commission approval for St. Tammany Hospital parking garage

The Covington City Council on Sept. 16 denied an appeal of the City of Covington Zoning Commission’s conditional-use approval for a proposed five‑story, roughly 400‑space parking garage with an elevated helistop for St. Tammany Health System, sustaining the commission’s action by a 6–1 roll‑call vote.

The appeal was filed after the zoning commission approved an amended and restated conditional‑use permit addressing changes including relocation of a sky bridge, revised drainage and traffic plans, revised screening and signage, and an amended traffic study. Rick Schroeder, representing appellant Carolyn Chasse, argued the parking garage is “about saving lives” but contended the project lacked a code‑compliant traffic impact study, exceeded height limits, and required variances and setback changes not executed through the Board of Adjustment. Schroeder said the traffic study’s reported data‑collection date (Nov. 11, 2024) was a problematic error and that the study underestimated traffic impacts on nearby city streets, not only the state highway.

St. Tammany Health System’s legal and technical team, led by attorney Jeff Shane and traffic engineer Lawrence Lambert of Vectura/Vector Consulting Services, told the council the project had been repeatedly…