Two Transformative Issues That Challenge Nashville

Recently, I attended a Legislative Forum hosted by the Greater Nashville Realtors Association where Councilmember At Large Burkley Allen and Chief Development Officer of Mayor O'Connell's office, Bob Mendes, spoke and addressed a couple of thorny issues facing Nashvillians; land use planning/zoning and mass transit. Of all the major issues facing our great city, where we live and how we get around, are at the top of many peoples’ list of things to solve. Neither of these has a simple, straightforward solution. They are multi-layered and complex issues somewhat like ‘climbing a mountain’… where you do it one step at a time.

To report on what happened at the Legislative Forum, I’ll begin with the land use planning and zoning issue.

Land Use Planning and Zoning

It is important to note that land use planning and zoning has been a topic of debate in Nashville since the formative years of the city during the industrial revolution in the latter part of the 1800’s. This is not a new issue and will forever bring forward passionate, often feverish, discussions as Nashville continually grows and evolves. Over the years Nashville has enacted zoning legislation to, among other things, help preserve the history of the city, maintain the identities of its various neighborhoods, and enable residents to obtain affordable housing.

The latest chapter in this ongoing land use planning and zoning issue took place in March this year when two bills were put forward by Councilmember At-Large Quin Evans-Segall. These bills focused on creating housing density through new zoning regulations for multi-family housing (e.g. duplexes, tri-plexes, quad-plexes). The idea behind density is to provide housing for more people in a smaller geographic area so that more is done with a finite resource and more homes can become available that people can afford. One way to accomplish this is by allowing multi-family homes to be developed on lots where previously only a single-family home could be built. ?

Quin-Segall’s bills were introduced in a series of ‘town hall’ meetings around the city earlier in the year. After listening to the opposition, Councilmember Segall decided to put the bills on hold until the Metro Council’s infrastructure study is completed in 2025. So, the issue has not, and will not, go away, however it has been deferred for another day when hopefully a clearer picture is in place as to what is the best way(s) for the city to take another bite of the elephant, that is land use planning and zoning.

The land use planning and zoning debate is ongoing, and with Nashville being one of the fastest growing cities in the country, it is an impossible task of the Metro Council to please its growing number of stakeholders. Growth and change are difficult things to address, however growth is important to the city and change is never ending, so accepting these realities and having a willingness to engage in constructive, open dialogue is an important starting point for Nashvillians and elected officials. ??

Mass Transit

Like land use planning and zoning, mass transit has a long history in Nashville. However, there was a more recent attempt from Megan Berry during her term as Mayor in 2017 to address mass transit. Barry’s plan had a $8.9 billion price tag and included light rail, however it was ‘derailed’ when Barry abruptly left office and then Mayor Cooper did not take on the issue during his term.

Newly elected Mayor Oconnell has made mass transit a priority of his administration and his mass transit plan was unveiled in April of this year. It has now passed all hurdles to allow it to be a referendum on the ballot during the November election. Nashvillians will be voting to allow a 50-cent increase in sales tax to create a dedicated fund for mass transit. Mayor O’Connell has said that Nashville is the only major city in the country without dedicated funding for city transit.

During the Legislative Forum Bob Mendes explained that the increase in sales tax would generate $3 billion in funding that would be used initially to address four S’s: Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety. According to the plan, this translates into 86 miles of sidewalks, traffic signal upgrades, 54 miles of upgraded corridors, new transit centers, 17 park and ride facilities, and new and upgraded bicycle facilities. In addition, there will be a great emphasis placed on providing a reliable 24/7/365 service for Nashvillians so that buses will arrive at bus stops very frequently and even every 5-10 minutes at peak travel times.

Mendes commented during the Forum that 50% of the city’s sales tax revenue is generated from taxpayers outside of Davidson County. Still, it is anticipated that it will cost a family in Nashville about $70 per year in added sales taxes. Thus far the mayor’s plan has received mostly a positive response so it may be a surprise if the referendum does not get voter approval. It is difficult to imagine deciding ‘not’ to do something to improve the current transit system.

Both land use planning and zoning and mass transit are transformative issues that have long-term implications for Nashville residents (present AND future). Hopefully, elected officials and Nashvillians can respectfully and transparently discuss the issues as they arise and make decisions with a positive intent and desire to truly help the city continue to be a great place for everyone to live, work, and play.