After three years of public meetings, planning and creating a comprehensive planning and zoning plan for the city of Covington, the text portion of the plan was approved by the city council Tuesday night in a 5-1 vote with Council President Trey Blackall absent for the vote and Mark Sacco vote against the plan.

The dissenting vote was cast by Sacco because of inconsistent language in two portions of the text that was not addressed until the night of the vote. He said he felt it should have been addressed earlier than an amendment to the text prior to a final vote.

The final step in the comprehensive plan will be to develop the zoning maps that will define, at a glance, the types of land use allowable in the city, including various residential, commercial, institutional and other categories. The plan has been in development for the past three years in accordance with a master plan development process that began before Hurricane Katrina. Although the test of the comprehensive zoning ordinance was adopted Tuesday night, it will not become effective until the map is adopted, hopefully by the end of this year.

The new comprehensive plan will cut down on the number of “spot zoning” cases and the new provisions will better define the intent of the city’s zoning to limit the number of cases that will be granted variances by the Board of Adjustment for hardships.

In discussions throughout the past few years, the city was divided into zones by planning consultant Steve Villavaso and Associates.

Topics covered in the text include mixed use overlay plans and districts, the historic district, signage, planned use development overlay districts, flood prevention requirements, parking requirements, landscaping, outdoor lighting regulations, nonconforming uses, home occupations, several specific businesses such as truck stops and tattoo parlors and other businesses.

The sign ordinance originally proposed by the city council was incorporated into the comprehensive zoning ordinance and is addressed in detail, including matters such as obsolete signs and enforcement of the sign code.

The comprehensive zoning initiative began three years ago to help prevent spot zoning and plan for the city’s future.

In addition, the new ordinance will allow many smaller changes, detailed in the text, to be handled administratively by the office instead of going before the planning and zoning commission and/or the board of adjustments.

The proposed text clarifies many issues that have caused concern, including traffic studies and density problems that have added to infrastructure problems in the past.

The new ordinance details what is and is not required by each classification and the processes that are needed to adhere to the new ordinance.

Any changes imposed by the city council in adopting and/or implementing the plan will not affect anyone immediately. If a business is in a current zone that allows for mixed use and is rezoned residential, the business is grandfathered in and will be allowed to operate as usual, said Vilavaso and city Planning and Zoning Director Naketah Bagby earlier in the process.

Current land use will not be affected by the maps or ordinance since it would be grandfathered in and will continue to be allowed. However, if a use is discontinued, property will fall under the new ordinance.

“Zoning and land use follows the land, not the owners,” said Vilavaso in 2008. “Many of the changes will reflect a more appropriate renaming of what you already are in many neighborhoods.”

Currently, 60 percent of the city is residential.The zoning ordinances and map have not been updated since 1968 and the new ordinance will provide a clear, concise rendering, negating the old ordinance that was in some areas, in conflict with one another.

Meeting dates to considered and comment on the zoning maps have not yet been scheduled, but will begin soon.

To view the completed zoning text, visit the website at www.cityofcovingtonla.com.