COVINGTON, Ga.— On Jan. 19, the Covington City Council approved the establishment of a private, Christian preschool for Dovestone Church, located at 13230 Lochridge Blvd.

Dovestone Church is developed within the heavy industrial (M2) zoning district, surrounded by warehouses and manufacturing. 

Building and operation of the church was initially approved via a special use permit on Nov. 18, 2024, under the condition that the church had to come back and obtain a separate permit before adding on any schools. 

Presented by Judy Thagard, the city’s director of planning and development, the new special use permit that was applied for states that the preschool will function as an accessory to the existing church facility and will “allow the operation of a private Christian preschool program, with future expansion plans of K-12 within an existing place of worship.” 

“There will be no new construction, building expansion or exterior site modifications proposed with the request,” Thagard said. “The proposed preschool program will be conducted entirely within the existing facility.” 

Bret Dunn, candidate for State Senate District 42 and member of Dovestone Church, attested to how the church needed the new program. He shared that the church has had about 21 children born into the congregation within the last year. 

“The church has grown immensely,” Dunn said. “We have a lot of children growing up there. We think it would be a great use of the massive, nice facility that we have to give a good Christian education to parents and children.”

Council members approved the item 6-0.