How middle housing and zoning changes could reshape Nashville’s neighborhoods
Article by Charlotte Cooper, Green Hills Neighborhood Association • 2.5 minute read
Introduction
Prompted by a thoughtful letter from Neighborhood President Charlotte Cooper of the Green Hills Neighborhood Association—a valued partner to SONN—we invite you to read her article and join the broader conversation now unfolding around Nashville’s zoning proposals.
In cooperation with local neighborhood leaders, SONN is conducting a focused review of the Planning Department’s public engagement boards. These materials, referenced in Charlotte’s article and linked through our website, are key to understanding how current zoning strategies may affect affordability, infrastructure, and neighborhood character.
We encourage you to read, explore, and reflect. Links to both Metro’s materials and our ongoing analysis are provided in the Resources section following the article, to help residents make informed decisions about Nashville’s future.
Drastic increases in housing density is coming to Nashville
We don’t yet know what will be in the final product, but the Planning Department, at its latest workshops, left hints for more density in our residential neighborhoods. It appears they want to insert "middle housing" in our existing R and RS zoned neighborhoods. A more appropriate term might be "muddle housing" since it will mix existing one and two-family housing with multiple unit housing (up to 20 units), such as plex house, courtyard, multiplex, house court, manor house or low-rise flats.
One chart in particular, New Approaches to Zoning, talks about two new proposed zoning codes:
Residential Neighborhood Zone (RN)
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Residential Neighborhood Zone (RL)
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According to the Planning Department, “The new design-based residential districts proposed would fill in the missing gap of housing. They would be used like other base zoning districts and accessed through the rezoning process if adopted.” For now, it appears to only be considered for areas the Planning Department is calling “transition zones” (approximately 1/8 mile or 600 feet off a mixed-use corridor in any direction); transitioning from corridors to neighborhoods. However, how long until they change the distance of these “transition zones” into neighborhoods? What is the old saying, “give them an inch, they take a mile”.
With more density in residential neighborhoods come concerns about infrastructure, increased traffic, parking and safety. The Planning Department admits infrastructure is struggling to keep up with our current growth, so more funding will be needed. However, Metro has strict limits on its ability to require new infrastructure from the developer; therefore, most needed funding will come from current residents paying property taxes, etc. In addition, off-street parking could impact the viability of ‘middle housing’, so on-street parking will be necessary. Most residential neighborhoods have only two-lane streets, so on-street parking has the potential of impeding traffic flow. Also, most residential neighborhoods have few or no sidewalks. Current sidewalk infrastructure is limited and few tools to build new sidewalks. More residential units bring more traffic into our neighborhoods; on-street parking plus more traffic means less visibility for children and adults walking without sidewalks, which creates an unsafe environment.
In addition, the Planning Department will likely propose that Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs – a second house on the same property) be allowed in all RS (one-family) and R (one and two-family) districts within the Urban Services District (USD). What is the USD? Using this map, find your area.
Urban Services District
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If you are in the light greenish/gray area, you are in the USD and DADUs will affect your property and your neighborhood. If DADUs are approved for all RS and R zoned property in the USD, this will basically eliminate single-family zoning because a second house on the same property is two-family zoning. Anther house on two-family zoning potentially means three or four houses on the R property.
So, the big question - “Is this how we want our RS and R residential neighborhoods to look?” Do we want to sacrifice our neighborhoods for projected ten-year growth? Are we, the current residents, not as important as future residents? Most of us have lived here for decades, paying our taxes, supporting Nashville through both good and hard times. We deserve better!
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We need to be ready to attend Metro Planning Commission public hearings to speak and express our opinions.
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We need to be ready to call and write our At Large and District Council members.
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We need to be ready to attend Metro Council public hearings and be prepared to speak.
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We must demand our unelected Commissioners, as well as our elected Metro Council members listen to “we the people.”