It took the Covington Planning Commission 13 months to come up with a proposal for city property improvements.
It took 30 seconds for Covington City Council to table it.
Questions over language in the changes proposed by the planning commission was the focus of a public hearing Tuesday evening to discuss the recommendations.
The public hearing was held prior to council’s regular April meeting.
While most of those who addressed council and the planning commission, whether they were for or against the recommendations, said changes were needed to help improve properties in the city, many who spoke against the measures were concerned with both how the changes would be interpreted and how the they would infringe upon their individual desires for their properties.
“We worked on this thing for over a year,” planning commission Chairman Tad Robertson said Tuesday. “We took each part of it, investigated it thoroughly with (city attorney) Elizabeth Dillon’s help and came up with something that we think will improve living in the city of Covington.”
One of the biggest questions raised during the public hearing dealt with the definition of structures.
“Does the word ‘structures’ mean a handicapped ramp?” Augusta Street resident B.B. Bryant asked. “Does it mean an in-ground swimming pool? What exactly do you mean when you say ‘structures’?”
The proposed changes deal with stiffer ordinance regulations in residential districts.
Some of the proposed changes include placing accessory buildings at least five feet from the main building, requiring at least 50 percent of a property’s rear yard to be green space with no buildings, gravel, pavement or parking and various restrictions on the parking of trailers and recreational vehicles.
“Look at how many people in the city that aren’t here tonight for this public hearing,” Mayor Rob Bennett said.
“If we pass this thing tonight, you can bet they’re going to be here. The advertisement for this public hearing didn’t come close to making it clear about what we were going to be discussing. It’s going to take some time for Ms. Dillon to educate us, I know it will for me, on what these changes mean.”
A copy of the proposed changes is available for public viewing in the city manager’s office in Covington City Hall.
Later in the meeting, Councilman Buddy Brown brought up complaints from Dry Run residents following a water line break Monday afternoon.
A water line broke while members of the Covington Fire Department were testing fire hydrants in the Dry Run area early Monday afternoon.
Water had to be turned off to residents in the upper Dry Run and Intervale areas until a valve could be placed on the line and the line repaired.
“Kyle Keyser said the next time this happens, he wants (police chief) J.B. Broughman to go through the neighborhoods with a bullhorn telling everyone what’s happened,” Bennett said.
Covington Fire Captain David Crosier responded, “In the volunteer fire service, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. What’s worse, having a malfunction with a hydrant while testing it or having the hydrant malfunction when Mr. Keyser’s house or the house next door to him is on fire? Our members found the problem and public works fixed the problem. With the age of our hydrants in the city, it could happen anytime or anywhere. Unfortunately, since we’re volunteers, we can’t set a schedule of when we’re going to test fire hydrants.”
In both Alleghany County and the town of Clifton Forge, fire hydrants are tested by paid employees. In those localities, a schedule of when testing is going to be done is advertised prior to that date.
In the city of Covington, fire hydrant testing is left to the members of the Covington Volunteer Fire Department, who have to work fire hydrant testing around full time jobs and family responsibilities.
During council’s meeting Tuesday, council members also approved the following:
• Juror parking permits for up to 12 jurors on trial days on Main Street, except for the three 10-minute parking spaces in front of the post office.
• Incentive funding for the AET property.
A final figure was not known as of last night but is being devised by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office.
• A one-year permit for the town of Fincastle to dispose of sludge at the Peters Mountain Landfill.
• Policy changes for the Department of Social Services regarding water cut-offs, late fees and penalties.
• Taxi permit renewals for Lloyd Lewis Taxi and Precious Cargo.
• The creation of a petty cash fund for the Crimestopper Program in the amount of $1,000.
• A proposal for the restoration and relocation of locomotive engine 701, which is currently at Covington’s Main Street Park to the C&O Depot.
• On first reading, an ordinance allowing the sale of a portion of property at the former Edgemont school to Cindy Scully.
• Appropriation resolutions approving supplemental funding under the Comprehensive Services Act in the amount of $155,825 and $74,785.
• A resolution allowing City Manager John Doane to accept loans totaling $5.7 million for sewer improvements.