Keene planning commission approves rezoning and plats for Covington Acres after Atmos easement change

The City of Keene Planning and Zoning Commission approved a rezoning request and both the preliminary and final plats for the Covington Acres development, a multifamily project by Kittle Property Group, after the developer adjusted lot lines to accommodate a widened Atmos gas easement.

Commissioners voted to rezone a 24.7308-acre portion of the Hugh McCollum survey (Tract 12), located at 2632 East U.S. Highway 67, from C-2 general commercial district (office and light retail) to a planned development (PD) for multifamily housing and acknowledged two requested variances: allowing three-story buildings where two-story buildings had been expected and reducing the number of playgrounds proposed from five to four.

The zoning change was necessary after the gas utility expanded its easement on the east side of the site from roughly 40–50 feet to about 100–115 feet, which increased the acreage Kittle needed to include in the PD application. "We did need to increase the acreage due to the Atmos gas line on the east side of the property," said Mike…