Densification On the Ropes in Woodbine
🏘️ District 16 shouts down upzoning proposal · New Youth Safety Director · Fusus on the fritz · Voucher voyage · Repeat offender of the day · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone.
Across the pond on the Iberian Peninsula, a huge power outage affecting large parts of Spain and Portugal grounded flights and paralyzed the daily rhythm of life on Monday. REN, Portugal’s grid operator, claimed a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” caused the outage.
Among European countries, Spain’s aggressive effort to draw 81 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 has won it praise from organizations such as the World Economic Forum. Just two weeks ago, the country celebrated the first weekday it had drawn 100 percent of its power from renewable sources.
A lot of people have used the opportunity to chime in on the perils of going fully green. “Climate change is important but not at the expense of de-industrialization,” wrote Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire. With our own TVA getting the screws put on them about “greening” up the grid, it feels relevant to bring all this up.
Onward.
Last Thursday, the Metro Planning Commission rejected Councilmember Ginny Welsch’s blanket rezoning bills, including all substitute amendments. In spite of the backlash Welsch has received from constituents over her robust upzoning proposals, she told the Metro Planning Commission that this plan is actually a scaled-back version of what she originally intended to introduce.
The bills have been presented as an affordable housing solution focused on increasing density, an offshoot of proposals suggested by NEST supporters last year. As before, the pushback against such initiatives has taken on a life of its own, and the Commission’s decision to vote down Welsch’s legislation received applause from those in attendance at last week’s meeting.
Before the public comment period, Councilmember Welsch shared that she spent a year researching Woodbine’s zoning history, and made the decision to introduce the legislation after recognizing that “the entire district was down-zoned from R zoning to RS zoning in 2003”—something she claims has hindered growth in the area. She also said that her proposed Urban Design Overlay “encourages middle class housing by allowing more units on a lot, decreasing the building height, and limiting the square footage of multi-family units,” but would withdraw her UDO if Planning releases new bulk standards for RM-20 and RM-40 zoning “that encourage context-sensitive, middle-scale housing” in June.
Those in support of the legislation were invited to speak first. Recognizing she was among the minority in the room, McKenzie Beaver of Woodbine stepped up to the mic. She stated that she believes the changes would encourage positive development in the areas where there are “a large number of vacant homes, which are often occupied by squatters,” and informed the Commission of “sketchy stores,” safety issues, and used needles discarded in the streets.
“Woodbine consists of small homes on relatively large lots, which is something that cannot be sustained long-term in a city like Nashville,” continued Beaver. “I would rather have more input into how our neighborhood evolves, rather than fight it and regret the inevitable changes that will eventually come regardless, or be left out of Nashville's growth altogether.”
Residents in opposition to the legislation showed up in full force. While many agreed that the area needs thoughtful change, the majority were turned off by Welsch's one-size-fits-all plan. Instead of feeling as though they’ve been presented with a reasonable solution, several speakers felt disrespected by the proposal and the process.
”I received a Planning Commission notice…five days before the first community meeting happened,” said Mitch Miller of Glencliff. “The community meeting was held on a holiday, had standing-room only flowing out the back door, there was no parking available—I had to park illegally to attend—[and] residents were told they were not allowed to ask questions on site. A week later, I'm here.” Miller went on to categorize the zoning proposals as “too sweeping of a change to delve out in one blow.”
Councilmember Welsch followed up the public hearing by assuring everyone her plan “doesn't force change.” Instead, “it gives long-time homeowners options to add a small unit for family, to downsize and stay in the neighborhood, or to use their land in new ways that reflect the community values, or to do nothing.” She emphasized that “you can keep your backyard,” and stated multiple times that her proposal—“modeled, basically, on Portland”—isn’t radical.
Planning Commission Vice Chair Jessica Farr, who has personal ties to Woodbine having helped with homeowner education and free tax assistance in the area, supported Councilmember Welsch’s intentions, but disagreed with her approach.
“I don't see protections here that work, that would address the concerns of gentrification,” she said. “I know the UDO will have some impact on design, but it's not going to keep housing affordable and it's not going to keep opportunities there for people who are currently living in that neighborhood.” Farr also stated that, in her 11 years on the Commission, she has never seen a room so full of people opposed to a proposal.
During the Commission meeting, Councilmember Welsch informed the body that another community event was scheduled for this week, though the Metro Calendar reflects that her May 1 meeting has been canceled. MEGAN PODSIEDLIK
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🖋️ Edited by Megan Podsiedlik.
👦 New Youth Safety Director On Friday, Mayor O’Connell announced the appointment of Phyllis Hildreth as director of Nashville’s first Office of Youth Safety. In November, the mayor approved funding to establish the new office and create “a proactive, evidence-based, people-informed approach to youth safety and well-being.”
Hildreth has an extensive professional background focused on violence prevention and conflict resolution, including positions on Nashville’s Community Oversight Board and Human Relations Commission, multiple roles in Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Justice, and 11 years as the director of Lipscomb University’s Institute for Conflict Management. As Metro’s Youth Safety director, Hildreth will establish programming to equip youth with conflict resolution and de-escalation skills, use data and research to suggest investments into youth violence prevention and restorative programming, and inform Metro departments how to build safer communities for Nashville’s youth.
“Phyllis’s passion for supporting our youth goes all the way back to her childhood, where she watched her father support kids in her community as a High School guidance counselor and Sunday School teacher,” said Mayor O’Connell in a press release. “Her background includes work in both education and juvenile justice – giving her a unique perspective on how we build a resilient ecosystem to support our youth.”
📸 Fusus On The Fritz Though the mayor has recently taken a solid stance backing the establishment of Metro Nashville Police Department’s License Plate Reader program, he’s backed off integrating an MNPD camera surveillance network through a contract with Fusus. “What we are still continuing to look at is conversations with council members who are rightly concerned about what appear to be erosions of the rule of law at the federal level,” O’Connell said during Friday’s media roundtable. He also alluded to “people who are in the country legally,” but “had their status changed” and are being yoked from the streets.
When asked why he is currently more hesitant to establish a Fusus contract compared to his previous stance, the mayor said he’s wary of the Trump administration’s actions: “I think the difference between the election and assumptions and seeing defiance of court orders is a change in what we've seen.”
🎓 Voucher Voyage Voucher signup for Gov. Bill Lee’s new Education Freedom Scholarships opens statewide on May 15. Each voucher is worth $7,295 toward private-school tuition; families must show their child is already enrolled before funds are released, and extras like meals or boarding aren’t covered. Applications go through the Tennessee Department of Education, a waitlist will kick in if requests exceed 20,000 slots, and state researchers will sample test scores in grades 3-8 to track results.
DEVELOPMENT
- California group to turn Kung Fu Saloon spot in Midtown into a game and karaoke bar (NBJ)
- NYC-based Private equity giant KKR buys Nashville senior living facility (Post)
- Burrito spot plans third Tennessee location (Post)
✹ REPEAT OFFENDER OF THE DAY
18-year-old Hussein Hassan was arrested Friday on South 6th Street and jailed on $150,000 bond for three aggravated-robbery counts stemming from September 15th, 2024 holdups at 201 Rose Hall and 800 4th Ave S. He was already out on a $40,000 bond tied to an October 2024 robbery/vehicle-theft case, and court records list 16 General-Sessions dockets since Oct 2024—15 felonies (robbery, theft $10k–$60k, eight vehicle burglaries, two firearm thefts, three aggravated-robbery counts) plus one misdemeanor evading-arrest charge, with the three new aggravated-robbery cases still open. (More Info)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown 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
📺 "LIVE NOT BY LIES" SCREENING @ NuMynd Studios, 6p, Info
+ Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire will emcee the evening and lead a discussion and Q&A with author Rod Dreher and series director Isaiah Smallman
🪕 Kyle Tuttle Band @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info
🎸 Japanese Breakfast @ Ryman Auditorium, 8p, $17+, Info
🪕 Analog Bluegrass presents Jason Carter Band @ Analog at Hutton Hotel, 8p, $15, Info
🎸 Timbo & Lonesome Country @ Jane's Hideaway, 8p, Info
+ modern take on classic country, bluegrass & hillbilly Jazz
🪕 Val Storey, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle & New Monday @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik (Nashville), Zachariah Sanders (Crowd Corner), Camelia Brennan (Local Noise), and Davis Hunt (everything else).