Plans to redevelop a metal scrapyard site located on the East Bank cleared a key hurdle before the Metro Council on Tuesday night.
The body approved two bills on their final of three readings related to a redevelopment proposal that comes after the East Bank scrapyard property was sold to local investors for $245 million in August.
One of the pieces of legislation will rezone parcels of the East Bank as a part of the redevelopment. The other piece of legislation, which came with 17 amendments, will update the Metro Downtown Code as a part of the development.
Among the wide-ranging group of amendments passed by the council Tuesday is a provision to alter code to rename the neighborhood — which has previously been referred to as East Bend — as Wasioto Bend. Wasioto is a name given by the Shawnee to the Cumberland River many generations ago. This measure changes the name only within Metro Code and does not require developers to adhere to the name change in any of their future actions.
Measures would target multimodal infrastructure, building heights, rename neighborhood Wasioto Bend
Several other amendments seek to make the neighborhood less car-centric and instead emphasize multimodal infrastructure related to buses, bike lanes and efforts to increase walkability. One amendment will require any changes to rights-of-way in the neighborhood's subdistrict to receive recommendations from Metro’s Bicycle Advisory and Pedestrian Commission and Vision Zero Advisory Committee.
Other provisions brought forth through amendments require the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure to conduct a multimodal transportation analysis for the neighborhood and require the Metro Planning Department to provide a written report to the council when street plans and designs for the area are finalized.
Amendments also put limits on future lighting and digital signage, building heights, hotel construction and parking in the area — efforts that come as residents have cited concerns about the land mass becoming an extension of downtown Nashville across the river. Beer and cigarette markets are also prohibited within the subdistrict.
Additionally, the code updates will require an environmental study to be conducted and prompt the Metro Planning Department to expand the Voluntary Attainable Housing Incentive Program to the neighborhood. A non-binding amendment encourages any prospective developer to provide an urban fire station for the Nashville Fire Department in a building between Davidson Street and the forthcoming East Bank Boulevard.
Councilmembers have largely seen the redevelopment proposal as a rare opportunity to shape a new neighborhood in Nashville.
“This is a big deal for the city and the region,” said Councilmember Clay Capp, whose District 6 contains the East Bend site. “It’s also a really big deal for the East Side of town.”
David Byerley, an investor in the development, issued a statement Tuesday applauding the council for approving the legislation.
“For more than 70 years, people have thought ‘someday’ the scrapyard could be something more,” says Byerley. “Today, ‘someday’ has arrived and it is now time to return the land back to human occupancy."
Still, some Nashville residents are not fond of the development plan.
Filing claims councilmember failed to disclose role on Music City Children’s Museum board in connection with zoning vote
Logan Key, vice chair of the Coalition for Nashville Neighborhoods, sent an email to councilmembers on Tuesday maintaining the group's opposition to the legislation. The email notes the group's support of certain amendments brought forth by East Nashville councilmembers but criticizes the process in which the legislation moved through the council. Key notes a recent ethics complaint filed against Councilmember Courtney Johnston related to a prospective children’s museum project in the neighborhood. Key also cites late engagement with East Nashville residents on the matter as well as infrastructure concerns.
In other East Bank news, the council approved on its first of three readings a bill to establish an East Bank Design Review Committee within the Downtown Code.
Additionally, two people were nominated to fill a vacant seat on the East Bank Development Authority following authority chair Emily Lamb having stepped down in February. Councilmember Jennifer Webb nominated Bob Braswell, while Councilmember Kyonzté Toombs nominated Nathaniel Carter. The council will elect one of the two candidates at its May 19 meeting.
