Dear ,

The sun is starting to come back (I promise!) and there is a lot going on—please see below for District 6 and Metro updates!

America’s Favorite Scrapyard

As we discussed in the previous newsletter, the Scrap Yard site by the river has sold, and the new owners are seeking a rezoning to allow them to develop it into something other than a scrap yard. In general that sounds like a positive step, but of course it matters quite a bit what the vision is.

The site, however, is not in District 6, but is in the downtown/stadium District 19. I have always fought to get the East side voice into these East Bank conversations, because what happens there will affect us most of all, and I am especially concerned that new development in that area be restricted from turning into Broadway 2.0, that it be built as a neighborhood with lots of housing for Nashvillians, and that its streets and public ways be safe and convenient for transit, walking, and biking. To his great credit, District 19 Council Member Kupin has consistently acknowledged the importance of the East Side voice in these conversations too, and I am grateful to him for that.

In order to consult East Side neighborhoods, then, I have put together an all-East community meeting for 6pm on 3/5 at the Kirkpatrick Community Center (998 Sevier Street). This tight timeline is not ideal but since it is not a District 6 (or 5 or 7) bill we don’t control the timeline of the legislation. All of Districts 5, 6, and 7 are invited to the meeting and it will be an official, publicly-noticed meeting so that multiple CMs can be present to hear from you. Please spread the word and help us improve the future of East!

Also, the public hearing on this proposed rezoning will take place at the 3/3 Council Meeting (6:30pm at the Council Chamber at 1 Public Square), so please feel feel free to speak there or email the Council ([email protected]) with your thoughts.

As a reminder, the proposed legislation is here and current state of the proposal is here.

Shelby Community Center Gym

Like all of you, I am heartsick at the news that the Shelby Community Center has been temporarily closed by the Parks Dept. As many of you know, the roof of the gym at the West Park Community Center collapsed last spring, and since Shelby and a couple of others were built at the same time (the 60s) with the same type of roof beams (and, as I understand it, by the same contractor), Shelby’s gym has been frequently inspected for safety and had been safe until the weight of the ice storm put added damage on those roof beams, putting it now, as awful as it is to say, at risk of collapse. The remainder of the building remains safe and open as always.

Getting the gym repaired as quickly as is consistent with safety is a priority for me and I am glad to say, for the Parks Department too. Initial engineering reviews indicate that the beams can be repaired without tearing down the whole gym, and that repairing them can extend the life of the gym by another decade or so. Initial budget work that I, Parks, and the Mayor’s office have done over the past couple of days make me hopeful that this repair can be done within the existing budget. If that turns out not to be the case I will be seeking supplemental funding right away. Engineers are reviewing for scope of work and timelines as we speak so we should know more on that point soon. Public voice is often important in budget situations like this so I will definitely be keeping everyone posted so we can work together to get this beautiful, needed public space back open for our kids and our whole East side community.

Another Tree Planting on March 21st!

The Tennessee Environmental Council, along with the Metro Water Department, have organized and funded another street-tree planting project in District 6—my great thanks to them for that! This one will take place on March 21st, from 9:00am-12:30pm, and will plant trees along Woodland, 14th, and Forest. We’ll meet up at the Lipstick Lounge to get started. Volunteers are welcome! If you are interested to plant a tree in East that will last for generations, and would like to join us, please email our District 6 Beautification Commissioner Carter Koontz ([email protected])!

PS. This is not to be confused with the Annual District 6 Tree Planting event, which will happen again in the fall—stay tuned for that!

Traffic Calming Meeting for Porter and Greenwood

Both Porter Road between Eastland and Greenwood, and Greenwood between Porter and Scott, after neighborhood applications, have been approved for traffic calming projects. Because these areas intersect with each other, NDOT will be holding a single meeting to discuss both, on 3/25 at 6pm. The meeting will be virtual and the link is: https://nashville.webex.com/wbxmjs/joinservice/sites/nashville/meeting/download/e98eebe1c352410299bba533f998afac?MTID=m8ff9668b022c7c59c7c6865e824db19e . Please join us to discuss, and if you can’t make it, please feel free to email me, as always, and I will make sure your feedback/position is included.

As always, please reach out to me directly at [email protected] or 615-864-0008. You can also use Hub Nashville for an array of city services and other Metro requests. 

Hope to see you soon. Yours in service, Clay