July 22, 2019
Public feedback from the Citizen Survey and the two Town Hall meetings in June gave the Commissioners a wealth of information regarding what is important to our residents. We heard that planning and zoning were high on the list of issues for the Commissioners to address. We appreciate the citizens who participated and gave us their input.
Residents want a long-term master plan developed that will establish a vision for the City and outline a capital plan for improvements. We are currently working on creating a scope of study for this master plan to address safety, walkability & connectivity, traffic calming, beautification, and community branding. We are counting on a lot of community engagement in this process as we look forward to the next 10-20 years. Stay tuned for the call to volunteer!
Zoning issues brought to the Commissioners’ attention included the excessive number of tear-downs and spec builders who often sacrifice quality for profit. The City recently met with Tennessee Historical Commission members to seek input on how to manage this unprecedented real estate growth while maintaining the character of our City. They suggested we complete an inventory of homes in Belle Meade and use this information to create overlay zoning to regulate demolitions and certain characteristics of new construction and alterations. The Commissioners took the first step in this process by introducing legislation at their July 17th meeting:
▪ Ordinance 2019-7…Create the Historic Zoning Commission
▪ Ordinance 2019-8…Authorize the Creation of Historic Overlay Districts
▪ Resolution 2019-04..Creating a Temporary Moratorium on the Issuance of Demolition Permits
This legislation is the first step in several months of discussion, public input and required public hearings before final legislation is approved. A copy of the Ordinances and Resolution as read and approved on first reading at the July 17th meeting are on the website. We will keep you informed of the progress of these Ordinances and all public hearings and meetings that are scheduled. Please sign up for the monthly newsletter and the email bulletins, so that you will know when things are happening!
As part of the process to inventory and catalog homes in Belle Meade, we have a city staff member, Keith Samol, riding in a City vehicle and stopping to take a picture of each house. Most of the time he can photograph from the vehicle, but occasionally he has to walk onto your property to obtain a photo. There will also be one or two female interns from the Historical Commission who will be assisting Keith in the upcoming weeks. Their vehicle will have the state seal on the side. If you have any concerns about someone taking pictures, please don’t hesitate to call city hall.
ORD 2019-7 Historic Zoning Commission