Let me upzone ya

Residents loudly say no to zoning proposals at community meeting

From Megan Podsiedlik

About 150 restless Nashvillians gathered at Hillsboro High School last night for a community presentation on proposed zoning changes across the city. During the meeting, the Department of Planning and council members hosted a lively Q&A session. Twenty-one people had the chance to voice their concerns about the four pieces of legislation up for second reading at the next council meeting.

Attendees were given handouts by Nashville Planning outlining zoning terms and the legislation up for vote. The bills include:

• The addition of two zoning districts: Residential Neighborhood (RN) and Residential Limited (RL)
• Legislation that simplifies the rules for building duplexes and detached accessory dwelling units (DADUs)
• The creation of a voluntary attainable housing incentive program. 

Those in opposition to the legislation also handed out a fact sheet outlining “misleading claims vs. the real facts on Nashville’s housing crisis.” According to the document, “City planners are using flawed data to push policies that put neighborhoods like yours at risk.” The list of complaints challenged the claim that Nashville needs 91,000 units by 2034 to keep up with population growth. 

“Metro’s number came from a biased, pro-developer consultant,” reads the document. “The more credible Boyd Center projects a need for 32k.”

At one point during the presentation, Planning Commission Planner Greg Claxton stated that the proposals aren’t really about attaining a certain number of new housing units. Instead, they “create density, but also bring along a little bit of open space, because that is so important for people to kind of live and build community.”

The room full of residents didn’t agree. 

One speaker expressed her fear that if the new zoning districts are made available, council members will implement them against their constituents’ will. Councilmembers Brenda Gadd and Sandy Ewing attempted to reassure attendees, reiterating their dedication to the will of the people in their districts.

The distressed crowd grumbled: “But what if another, future council person doesn’t care?” asked an audience member. Vice Mayor Angie Henderson, who was in attendance as an observer, could be heard saying “don’t elect that person.” 

“Maybe we'll get a Rollin Horton [council member for District 20] next time, and that's just not fair,” said another. “We have got to prepare for the worst.”

Horton was not in attendance, but one of his constituents stepped up to the mic and questioned whether members are willing to truly listen to the current residents of Nashville.

“Twenty-seven council members voted for R40 to go through,” she explained, pointing out that the council supported Horton’s bill to upzone the Nations despite a petition with 1,000 signatures opposing the change. “How can we trust you?”

🖋️ Edited by Davis Hunt and Megan Podsiedlik.

🅿️ Parking Purge Musicians are still pushing back against legislation that will eliminate free parking on Music Row. A petition with almost 1,000 signatures from those who oppose the change was handed in to Metro on Monday. 

“This unilateral move by NDOT feels like punishment for the very same businesses and people that made Nashville into Music City and should not be approved by Metro Nashville government,” said Dave Pomeroy, president of the Nashville Musicians Association, during Monday’s Traffic & Parking Commission meeting. 

Parking changes and increased enforcement have been distressing Nashville residents. “I'm currently facing an issue in my district where two-hour no parking signs went up, and neighbors didn't know that that was happening, and so we're having to backtrack,” said Councilmember Jacob Kupin during the meeting. 

“I understand that our parking enforcement folks are going to exercise common sense, but we do have a lot more Nashvillians encountering parking enforcement in their neighborhoods now that we have a professionalized department of transportation that has a dedicated enforcement team,” said Councilmember Sean Parker. He continued by acknowledging that he’s heard from a lot of people about how they’ve been getting tickets for parking in places they’ve always parked with no hassle in the past.

🪦 RIP Small Business in “Broadway South” A family in 12 South created a “business graveyard” Halloween display to honor local shops that closed after being priced out of the area. According to Fox17, beloved eateries and businesses have been replaced by national chains. Neighbors say the local charm is fading and it now feels more like “Broadway South.” 

Actual Broadway haunts are afraid of the same, untimely end. Carey Bringle, owner of Peg Leg Porker BBQ, told Fox17 that his tax payments have increased 800 percent since 2013. “Do we only want corporate national businesses in downtown Nashville or all over the city?” asked Bringle. “Because that's what we're about to have, because they're the only ones that can afford this.”

HEADLINES

• 🚨 TBI Director David Rausch has been selected to lead the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the world’s largest police leadership organization. He will serve in this national role while continuing as head of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
• 🏕️ Beaman Park in Nashville could soon expand by about 308 acres after the city council approved launching a grant application via the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund to facilitate the purchase of adjacent land.
• 🪧 BLEXIT, a group affiliated with Turning Point USA, was asked to leave Tennessee State University’s campus during homecoming week, and the university later said it was because the group did not have a required permit to be there.

DEVELOPMENT

• Ernest Tubb Record Shop returns to Nashville's Lower Broadway (Axios)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.

TONIGHT

🎸 Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit @ Ryman Auditorium, 8p, $73+, Info

🎸 Junior Brown @ Station Inn, 9p, $20, Info

🪕 Appalachian Road Show @ 3rd and Lindsley, 12p, $18.33, Info

🎸 Sierra Bryan @ The East Room, 8p, $13.36, Info

🎸 BB Palmer w/ Wade Sapp @ The Basement, 9p, $12.85, Info

🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info

🎸 Kelly’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info

🎸 Open Mic @ Fox & Locke, 6:30p, Free, Info
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik and Camelia Brennan.