Communities are adding density to increase housing, however, if you give contracts to local builders they can work with the communities and not overwhelm the infrastructure. Build local.
Nashville is in the middle of an intense debate over housing density — that is, how many homes can be built in a given area.
There’s a whole recent This Is Nashvilleepisode about it, which I highly recommend, but if I were to summarize in a single paragraph, it would be this:
Some people want to alter the zoning code to allow for denser development, saying that will address housing shortages in Nashville. Other people think don’t, saying density often disregards the needs of existing residents and the limitations of infrastructure.
The examples of this clash around town are numerous, but the latest is particularly dramatic, in which one neighborhood group has filed an ethics complaint against their councilmember.
WHAT TO KNOW
District 20 Metro Councilmember is facing an ethics complaint stemming from his successful effort to rezone the Nations earlier this year. Credit: Cynthia Abrams / WPLN NewsIn August, District 20 Councilmember Rollin Horton secured a win for housing density. He successfully rezoned the Nations to allow up to 40 units per acre throughout most of the neighborhood.
The average lot size in that area is one-tenth of an acre, so that means roughly four units will be allowed on most lots.
This legislation angered a group of Nashvillians, who, in reaction, gathered signatures to recall Horton. But it’s unclear if the group had gathered enough signatures — 15% of registered voters in the council district — to trigger a recall.
Instead, WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports that on the day that the signatures were due, the group announced an effort to file a formal ethics complaint.
The complaint filed last week accuses Horton of misusing public office, retaliating against constituents for the recall petitioning, and “doxxing” constituents.
- It details the “doxxing” of one of the signers, Lauren Magli, through an Instagram post. However, the complaint does not provide any evidence that Horton was behind the post.
- It claims Horton directed a constituent to call the police on recall petitioners who were gathering signatures at an event in the Nations. The complaint shows that the police did ask the petitioners to leave, citing a lack of permit.
- In response, Horton called the complaint a “baseless attempt by the same individuals to disparage me” and contends that many of the people behind the complaint don’t actually live in his district.
Metro Legal has two weeks to review the complaint and assess whether the allegations violate Metro’s ethical standards. The complainants are asking for a full hearing before the Board of Ethical Conduct and are requesting subpoenas of Horton’s communications.
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How did a battle in Chattanooga change the trajectory of the Civil War? On this day, the Union broke the Confederate siege of Chattanooga by storming Missionary Ridge, which some describe as the “death knell” of the Confederacy.Plus the local news for Nov. 25, and a profile of Henry J. Star, the WNXP Nashville Artist of the Month for November.
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MORE TO KNOW
- NFL Commission Roger Goodell has deemed Nashville “Super Bowl ready.” At a recent ceremony celebrating the progress of the new Tennessee Titans stadium, Goodell said that the city will now have all the elements to host a future Super Bowl. (The Associated Press reports Nashville would still have to go through the formal selection process.) The new Nissan Stadium is still under construction, aiming to be completed in February 2027. It is considered the largest commitment of public funding for an NFL stadium, with roughly $1.2 billion in state and local bonds to pay for part of the $2 billion price tag. The NFL has announced hosts for the super bowl through 2028.
- As of Friday afternoon, more 13,000 Nashville voters had cast their ballots early in the District 7 Congressional race. That represents about 11% of the total active registered voters in Tennessee’s seventh congressional district, which stretches all the way from Clarksville to Wayne County near the Alabama border. The district is seen as solidly Republican, but there’s increased national attention on Republican Matt Van Epps ahead of Democratic State Rep. Aftyn Behn for the seat, and it’s likely that turnout will be one of the biggest deciders of the race. Early voting ends Wednesday, and election day is Dec. 2.
- More than 140 books will remain off the shelves in Rutherford County Schools as a federal lawsuit continues. Back in the spring, three high schoolers sued the district, claiming their First Amendment rights were violated by the ban, which includes books like Beloved and Catch-22. Now, a judge has declined to block the ban before the case goes to trial next year. This case, filed by the ACLU, is the first legal challenge to Tennessee’s 2024 law broadening restrictions on library materials. [Chalkbeat]
FROM THIS IS NASHVILLE
Whisperin’ Bill Anderson hasn’t just weathered a 65-year music career, he’s thrived through versatility. A six-time Songwriter of the Year winner, he’s a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Last year he released his 73rd album. And at the center of it all has been the Grand Ole Opry.
He joins This Is Nashvilleto talk about his love and reverence for the institution and all that’s going on in “Whisperworld.”
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