News

New zoning approach shown to City leaders

A public engagement event early in the Neighborhood Development Code process asked attendees what they liked about Covington.

Tune in for summary of proposed Neighborhood Development Code 

COVINGTON, Ky. - The final draft of a 1½-year effort to fundamentally transform how Covington uses land-use regulations to guide development will be presented to the Covington Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night.
 
What’s expected to be an hour-long presentation will explain the City’s proposed new Neighborhood Development Code (NDC), which will replace a zoning ordinance that is outdated, ineffective, rigid, and both frustrating and costly to navigate for developers, residents, and investors.
 
“This is the beginning of the long-awaited final stage of the NDC effort - its approval,” said Christopher Myers, the City’s preservation & planning specialist. “We think people are going to like what they see.”
 
The presentation will be given by City staff and representatives from Kendig Keast Collaborative, the Texas consultant hired in November 2018 to guide the effort.
 
Tuning in
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Commissioners continues to meet virtually.

The meeting, which starts at 6 p.m., will be broadcast on Fioptics channel 815, Spectrum channel 203, and the Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky (TBNK) website www.bit.ly/3cfHbCK. If clicking on the link does not take you to the TBNK stream for the meeting, please copy the link and past it into your browser’s window.
 
Anybody who wishes to submit a comment to be read into the record can do so by emailing that comment to City Clerk Maggie Nyhan at mnyhan@covingtonky.gov by noon Tuesday.
 
Why the NDC?
The goal of the new, form-based code guides proposed development by taking into account the “look” and “feel” of surrounding buildings and by incorporating historic preservation principles to pay tribute to the unique character of each of Covington’s neighborhoods. The City’s current Zoning Ordinance is known as a “Euclidean-based code,” which divides the City into “zones” and rigidly tries to shoehorn buildings and their uses into those zones.
 
Public engagement
The City sponsored dozens of opportunities for the public to help shape the new development code and recently held a series of virtual events to gain feedback on the final draft.
 
To see a recording of the wrap-up presentation from May 20, click HERE. To view the current drafts, find helpful resources, and see prior presentations, visit the project website HERE.
 
To encourage participation at the May events, the City sponsored door prizes, Myers said, and the winners were Christopher Pfeiffer and Steve Hayden.
 
“Thanks to everyone who (virtually) came out to discuss the draft,” he said. “This is an important document that will shape how Covington’s neighborhoods look and operate long into the future.
 
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