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 reviewed: staff and the city engineer provided a scope for the study; the applicant voluntarily commissioned a traffic impact analysis even though the city engineer and LADOTD did not require one; and the study — corrected for a reported date error — shows no unacceptable level‑of‑service failures at the signalized intersections when the garage is in full use. Lambert said the weekday counts were taken on a Wednesday (Nov. 6) using video cameras at the four intersections around the square and that the modeled peak‑hour operations remain acceptable with the proposed garage in place.

Joan Kaufman, president and CEO of St. Tammany Health System, and hospital representatives described the garage and helistop as safety and capacity investments to serve projected increases in patients and an aging population. Community supporters, including business and economic‑development representatives, emphasized the hospital’s local economic footprint and argued that consolidated structured parking and a safer elevated helistop would improve patient access and emergency transport.

Opponents — including the appellant’s counsel and several neighborhood residents — raised multiple objections in public comment and in legal argument: they said the garage should be classified as institutional or commercial space for purposes of the code’s traffic‑study thresholds; they contested whether the elevator penthouse and rooftop helistop qualified as an exempt penthouse under the building code; they argued setbacks and height calculations were incorrect and that the city should require a full traffic‑management plan and a DOTD peer review. Some residents described existing delays on local side streets during school peak hours and urged additional mitigation or postponement pending the city’s corridor study.

Council members acknowledged the volume of public comment and technical disagreement. Council President noted the appeal was limited to issues in the amended and restated application and reminded speakers the amended site plan (approved by the zoning commission) was not itself appealable to council. After deliberation, the council voted to deny the appeal and leave intact the conditional‑use permit and the conditions previously adopted by the zoning commission and council.

Roll call on the motion to deny the appeal: Councilman Botsford — Yes; Councilman Burrett — Yes; Councilman Lewis — Yes; Councilman Bushnell — Yes; Councilman Roberts — Yes; Councilman Inman — No; Councilman Burrell — Yes. Outcome: motion adopted, appeal denied.

The council and hospital also discussed next steps for traffic mitigation. Hospital counsel said the system would participate in a corridor effort and offered up to $25,000 to fund consultant participation and initial technical work with the city; hospital officials said they would monitor garage occupancy policies and make operational adjustments (for example, staff parking assignments and controlled access) if peak‑hour impacts required mitigation.

Why it matters: The garage will change traffic and land‑use patterns near Covington’s hospital campus and establishes a nearby elevated helistop that proponents say will shorten patient transfer time. Opponents fear increased turning movements on local side streets and differences in interpreting the city’s height and setback rules. The council’s decision leaves the conditional use in place while also prompting follow‑up work on corridor traffic planning and potential operational controls for garage use.

What’s next: The council asked administration and staff to continue work on corridor studies and to coordinate with DOTD where state highway changes may be necessary. Hospital representatives committed to being at the table on corridor planning and to operational monitoring of the garage after construction.