Living in a Parking Lot
🅿️ 12 South parking wars · NES might not have outage records · Antioch shooter groomed online · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. A look at 12 South's parking wars... NES might not have records of your power outage during the ice storm... Antioch School shooter groomed by online extremists... And much more!
New TN U.S. Congressional District lookup Use your address to find your new district here.
The Undoing of the West Join us May 21st for a discussion with Vauban Books and writer Nathan Pinkoski for a discussion about French writer Jean Raspail's novel The Camp of Saints. (Buy Ticket)
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12 South: A place where they didn't even have to pave paradise to make it a parking lot.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Last night, the Metro Traffic & Parking Commission decided to postpone the implementation of new parking infrastructure in 12 South for 60 days. Area businesses and residents have been at odds after the establishment of new residential parking permit zones, which helped clean up congestion along some side streets but disrupted parking options for patrons and business employees.
During last night’s meeting, it appears the rift between residents and local businesses has somewhat cooled as the community continues to seek solutions that benefit everyone. Instead, much of the ire has shifted toward poor city planning, frustrations with rideshare congestion, exorbitant private parking lot fees, and obstruction from loading trucks.
“You're putting the solution on us, the residents, now, because the city didn't do their job, and we're trying to figure it out,” said one resident who lives on Ashwood Avenue.
Another lifelong 12 South resident said that the lives of residents living near popular businesses have been completely disrupted: “I’m sure the value of the property has probably increased, but the quality of life has decreased because they're living basically in a parking lot now.”
She also put much of the onus on private parking lots that are underutilized due to expensive rates.
“We don't have a shortage of parking spots in 12 South,” she said. “What we have is an excess of greed on behalf of the people managing the paid lots in our neighborhood. If those lots were at a reasonable price, like a parking meter, we would have a fraction of the problems that you're hearing today.”
When addressing the private parking lot issues, Councilmember Sean Parker asserted that locals would have to go to the state to address their concerns.
“I just want to be clear that local government does not have any authorization to regulate that,” said Parker. “I wish that we did. I would very happily engage in such reigning in of that practice, but we would require authorization with new state legislation in order for local governments to be able to do that.”
Over the next two months, local Councilmember Tom Cash plans to conduct more community meetings while NDOT collects more data. After 60 days, the committee will reconsider NDOT’s new proposals to implement free, 2-hour time-limited parking along 12 South along with new loading and rideshare zones in the area.
What Horrors We Wrought In 1973, French writer Jean Raspail published one of the most controversial novels of the 20th century. His novel, The Camp of Saints, has been consistently censored throughout its history.
Vauban Books recently published a new translation of the French story, accompanied by a lucid introduction by writer Nathan Pinkoski. Join us as we discuss the legacy of this controversial novel and what it says about the West.
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- 🔌 Yikes! NES had no record of their outage, hurting assistance eligibility. FEMA approved individual assistance for 29 counties in April, making Middle Tennesseans like Janeese Cox eligible for winter storm help. To apply, she needed documentation from NES confirming her power had gone out. When she went down to the office, NES told her there was no record of her outage at all. After NewsChannel 5 reached out to NES, Cox happened to receive the letter she needed. (NewsChannel 5)
- 💻 School killer likely egged on by online extremist 'handlers.’ Investigators say the 17-year-old shooter behind the 2025 attack at Antioch High School was likely manipulated online for years by extremist groups linked to violent networks known as Maniac Murder Cult and 764, with police describing him as a “pawn” used by online handlers. The investigation found the shooter had extensive activity across encrypted chats and social media platforms, highlighting growing concerns about how extremist online communities target and radicalize vulnerable teenagers. (NewsChannel 5)
- 💸 300 Nashville businesses say property tax is jeopardizing the future. A coalition of roughly 300 Nashville Property Tax Coalition businesses says recent property tax hikes and reassessments in Nashville are threatening the survival of many longtime local companies, with some owners reporting tax bills that have doubled, tripled, or risen even more. Business owners are urging Metro officials to provide relief and reform the appeals process, arguing that soaring taxes tied to rapid growth and rising property values could force neighborhood businesses to close or sell. (Fox 17)
- 🤝 Rossview Farms donates prime site for a public safety complex. Rossview Farms donated a 2.2-acre site valued at about $1.6 million within its Marcelina development to Montgomery County Commission for a new public safety complex that will house the county fire department headquarters, a fire station, and a sheriff’s precinct. The developer will also complete major infrastructure work to prepare the site, making it a model public-private partnership that will support growth in the Kirkwood area near Clarksville. (Rossview Farms)
DEVELOPMENT
- Wawa will open its first Tennessee location in Clarksville on June 18 (NBJ)
- Party Fowl will open its East Nashville location on May 11 (NBJ)
- Starbucks lays off 61 Seattle tech employees (NBJ)
- Wedgewood-Houston property sells for $7.75M (Post)
- Italian cuisine restaurant slated for The Gulch (Post)
- Green Hills site eyed for commercial building (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week 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
🎸 Mac DeMarco @ Ryman Auditorium, 7p, $213, Info
🎸 Whitney @ The Blue Room, 7p, $36.72, Info
🎸 Earth Wind & Fire @ FirstBank Amphitheater, 7p, $37+, Info
🎸 Twang Tuesday @ Acme Feed and Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.