The Planning Commitee staff made a presentation explaining the proposal as originally proposed by Welsch and a substitute developed by the Planning Committee staff. The staff recommendation was to disapprove as originally proposed but to approve the substitute, which was still extreme but not as extreme. After a staff presentation and the public hearing, the Commission voted against both the original proposal and the substitute. Only one member of the Commission voted in favor.
With a Commission recommendation, the bill to rezone the property could have passed the Metro Council with a simple majority of the Council, 21 votes. With a negative recommendation, it takes a two-thirds vote to pass the Council, 27 votes. Members of the public opposed to this radical rezoning need to continue to oppose it and attend the Metro Council public hearing and not just assume victory has been achieved, but last night makes ultimate victory more likely.
Below is a more detailed report from Waylon McInturff originally posted on the 16th District Nashville Facebook Page.
I want to personally thank everyone who came out and spoke for our neighborhood at the Planning Commissioners meeting last night. I was sincerely moved by the amount of neighborhood pride exhibited and the commissioners' reactions to our concerns. When we show up and get involved, we can make a difference.
There were two plans put forward - the original plan proposed by our councilwoman and a substitute plan suggested by the planning commission staff. The commissioners voted to DISAPPROVE both the original plan AND the substitute plan, almost unanimously. The main reason being that our community was not involved in the process of creating these plans that will drastically alter the character of our neighborhood.
The commissioners discussed how the process for a blanket rezoning of a neighborhood is normally initiated and led by Planning, not the city council, and should involve a large amount of community engagement and a thoughtful and intentional community plan that is developed over a longer period of time. The commissioners also acknowledged that any large-scale effort to redevelop neighborhoods should include plans for redeveloping the main corridors (Nolensville Rd & Thompson Ln). The Vice Chair Jessica Farr stated that she would not be comfortable approving any plan to redevelop our neighborhood that did not include plans to redevelop and improve Nolensville Rd. Chairman Greg Adkins also stated that redevelopment should begin in and along the main corridors before extending into the neighborhoods. THANK YOU!
This is just the beginning though… The Planning Commission’s decision to disapprove the rezoning bill does not kill the bill. It will still go before the Metro Council for a vote on May 6. Because the Planning Commission voted to disapprove the bill, the Council needs more votes to pass it than they would if the commission had approved the bill. Specifically, they need 27 votes to pass it. The council has 40 members, so they need 27/40 votes to pass the bill and rezone our neighborhood. I do believe this needs media coverage to put pressure on the council members to not pass this bill.
If we succeed in preventing this bill from passing now, it does not mean that changes are not coming to our neighborhood over the next 1-2 years. It will just allow us as a community to have a say in how our community evolves. No one knows these neighborhoods better than we do. We know what makes our community special, why we love it, the aspects that make it great as well as those that need to be improved upon. We ARE the 16th District, and our voices should not only be included, but they should speak the loudest and weigh the heaviest when it comes to how our neighborhood evolves to accommodate current and future generations.
As I write this, I can see my neighbor, Mrs. Murphy, who is 89 years old working out in her yard. She has lived in her house here since the 50’s. She has maintained it, loved it, and preserved not only her house, but also her yard for a future generation. Seeing her work out in her yard reminds me of something my grandmother used to tell me: “Be a good steward” We are not just here to use, extract, and take what we can from life for our benefit. We are also here to maintain, love, and preserve what has been given to us for future generations. It is in this spirit that I intend to contribute my voice and energy into the efforts to evolve our neighborhood.
I am excited about the possibilities of what our community can become if we work together. We need thoughtful planning, engaged discussions, the exchange of ideas, and a COHESIVE community-driven vision, so that when future generations walk down these streets, they’ll think “Wow, these people really care.” We should strive to leave our community in a better condition than we found it. I believe we can, and I invite everyone to share in my vision of a positive, beautiful, functional, and thoughtfully designed 16th District that is better for all. Thank you and God bless you!
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