Neighbors prevail: Covington zoning commission denies rezoning for proposed medical office near hospital

The Covington Zoning Commission on July 23 denied a request to rezone multiple lots near Saint Tammany Hospital to institutional-hospital (IH) zoning that would have allowed a physician's office. The denial followed two hours of public comment and a roll-call vote.

Paul Lee, speaking for the applicant (Dr. Richard Celentano), told commissioners the parcel has been functionally nonresidential for two decades, fronts hospital parking and is difficult to develop as housing. He said the applicant is willing to consider a smaller rezoning or to accept office-commercial (CO) zoning as a compromise.

Neighbors urged denial. Whitney Germany said she bought her home expecting residential zoning and warned rezoning would increase traffic and strain existing egress: “We did our due diligence to purchase this property, we did so with the knowledge that it is zoned residential.” Nicole Morris, who said her family has lived in the area for generations, said rezoning could lead to larger hospital-driven development and parking increases that would overwhelm neighborhood streets. Mary Lovell noted an in-progress traffic study will not be finished before council action and asked commissioners to "do no harm" to residents. Additional speakers, including Malcolm McGinnis, Woody Lovell and Will Baumbach, raised similar concerns about traffic congestion, drainage and loss of residential character.

Staff reminded the commission that the applicant is an individual physician, not the hospital, and that the commission's recommendation is advisory to city council. After deliberation, a motion to deny the rezoning passed on roll-call vote and the denial will be forwarded to council for final consideration.

What happens next: The denial is advisory; the City Council will receive the commission's recommendation and may choose whether to accept, modify or overturn it at a future meeting.