By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter
Last week, Covington city commissioners discussed moving forward with a plan to partner with the county to place a radio tower in Devou Park. The tower will allow first responders to communicate during emergencies and would replace one that was damaged by a storm last August.
During a point in the discussion, which was led by county administrator Joe Shriver, commissioner Bill Wells asked if the Devou Park Advisory Committee knew of the plans. “Have they seen this? Are they okay with it?” he asked.
City manager David Johnston stepped in to answer the question, saying that he served on those committees and had advised them over the past six months.
“They don’t have a problem,” Johnston said. “I just sent them something last week that this was on the docket and they didn’t have a problem with it.”
Apparently, that was news to the park advisory committee.
Tuesday, Pete Nerone, acting chair of the committee, came to the commissioner’s regularly scheduled legislative meeting to comment on the issue. He said the committee was not necessarily aware of all of the details.
“We didn’t come to a conclusion one way or another,” Nerone said.
Instead, he said he would gladly have the city and county come to their meeting in mid-May to make a more detailed presentation.
He noted it was not the committee’s desire to “impede the process,” and further, that they were certain those involved had chosen the “least intrusive” site. Still, when it came to future use of the tower, as well as the exact location of it, Nerone said the committee would like to know more.
The tower, which will be used solely for emergency communication and dispatch purposes, will be located along Montague Road, about 300 yards northwest of the intersection between Montague and Home Road, reported Shriver.
It, along with a service road, will be constructed and maintained by the county.
Reportedly, the park had no further plans for the area, which provided the necessary elevation and space for coverage for the emergency communication, reaching Covington, Ludlow, Bromley, Villa Hills and Park Hills, among other areas.
The order was adopted by a unanimous vote.
Also Tuesday:
- City commissioners agreed to obtain legal representation to investigate the possibility of suing “manufacturers, distributers and prescribers” of prescription opiates. The city will retain the counsel of Latonia-based Bonar, Bucher and Rankin, along with Utica, N.Y.-based Brindisi, Murad, Brindisi & Pearlman; Robert F. Julian, also of Utica; and The Cherundolo Law Firm of Syracuse.
- Commissioners agreed to solicit proposals for the city-owned property at 1316 Greenup St. At least two buyers have expressed interest in the property, which the city purchased for about $40,000
- Commissioners voted unanimously to amend section 3.03.05 of the zoning code to allow “restaurant with or without beer, wine or alcohol,” and “retail sales and service, other (not specifically listed above or specifically included herein)” as conditional uses in the “IL-Industrial Limited” zone.
- Commissioners accepted committee recommendations for the Orchard Park proposals. Orchard Park, a “vacant city-owned greenspace bordered by Jackson Street, Orchard Street, Berry Street, and Locust Street,” is located in the Westside Neighborhood. Last summer, the city issued an RFP, which currently features two development sites, one on the east side of Locust Street and another on the north side of Martin Luther King. In December, the city reviewed the proposals, and the committee recommended to move forward with the Center for Great Neighborhoods for the second site. On the first site, the committee recommended that the commission reject all bids. Commissioners voted to accept those recommendations, except for Commissioner Jordan Huizenga, who was present but did not vote.
- Commissioners recognized the Covington Business Council, Renaissance Covington, Southbank and meetNKY for their efforts to “create design standards to improve the aesthetics of the public realm in certain business districts in the city.” They then approved the appointment of Emily Ahouse, Crystal Courtney, Rick Davis, Jeremy Wallace and Tom West as “city staff representatives to an outside advisory committee created to recommend design standards for business districts in the city.”
- Commissioners awarded a bid for $694,000 to Bluegrass Paving for annual street resurfacing.
- Commissioners said they will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 26, to discuss, among other things, the city’s budget.
The next Covington Commission meeting will be a caucus meeting held at 6 p.m., May 1, at the Covington City Hall at 20 West Pike St.
Contact the Northern Kentucky Tribune at news@nkytrib.com
