August 7, 2019
The City of Belle Meade has begun a process to establish a conservation overlay to protect the historic character of this beautiful area. Recent community input has brought attention to the excessive number of teardowns and speculative designs proposed by builders who often sacrifice quality for profit. An overlay would mean all requests for demolitions and new construction within the designated historic zone would be subject to review by an appointed Historic Zoning Commission. Earlier this summer, city officials met seek advice on the necessary steps for creating the overlay. As the State Historic Preservation Office, THC offers free assistance to any local government launching their own preservation initiatives. THC staff advised the city to begin by completing a survey of all the homes in Belle Meade to identify the most historically significant houses, their dates of construction, and architectural styles. The state office also assisted with the drafting of two ordinances that
recently passed upon first reading at the July 17th Belle Meade
City Commission meeting. Read the full article here.