Metro Historic Preservation Awards

Winners of the Metro Historic Preservation Awards were announced in May, and District 18 was well represented. 1405 Linden, home of Emily and Kris Douglas, and 1707 Blair were recognized for excellence in historic renovation. The winners for historically sensitive new construction went to 1702 Sweetbriar and 204 Elmington. The Metropolitan Historical Commission presented the Achievement Award to District 18’s Ann Toplovich, longtime executive director of the Tennessee Historical Society, (see more about Ann’s award here) for her dedication to the preservation, interpretation, and promotion of Tennessee history.

Movies In The Park

Movies in the Park starts next Thursday, June 6 with the Black Panther, followed on June 13 by Air Bud. The family friendly movies are shown at Elmington Park at sunset with activities beginning at 5pm. Bring chairs or blankets and come early for food trucks and games. For the second year, this will be a zero waste event where all food will be collected for composting, and all aluminum, plastic, and glass will be recycled.

Metro Budget

The proposed Metro Budget will be on Public Hearing during the Metro Council meeting on Tuesday, June 4 at the Metro Courthouse starting at 6:30pm. With growth in the tax base, the budget includes a 3% raise for Metro Employees and teachers, but there are still some challenges to be worked through. The state did not fund an energy grant that MTA has gotten several years in a row, and the proposed 3% raise for teachers is short of the 10% raise requested by the MNPS School Board. Council will listen to input from the public on June 6, and then hold a series of workshops to consider amendments to the budget to try to address these issues. A proposed tax increase to at least partially meet the MNPS request will be one of the options discussed. I welcome input on this issue.

Parking Modernization

The parking modernization contract that was part of the budget discussion has been put on hold to allow more time for community meetings.

MTA Updates

The state has cut MTA funding by $8.7 million, and Metro does not currently have extra funds available to fill that gap. MTA has proposed cutting some of the least used routes, including the #2 Belmont route as well the as the Sunday run of the #21 University Connector. More information is available on the WeGo website. There are a number of community meetings to be held so that bus riders can express their opinions on the proposed cuts. Neighbors are encouraged to participate in any of the meetings:

• East Meeting: Wednesday, June 5, 2019 5pm - 7pm, East Park Community Center, 700 Woodland St. Nashville, TN 37206
• North Meeting: Thursday, June 6, 2019 5pm - 7pm, Hadley Park Regional Center, 1037 28th Ave. N, Nashville, TN 37208
• Central Meeting: Monday, June 10, 2019 5pm - 7pm, WeGo Central (2nd Floor meeting room), 400 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd.
• Charlotte Meeting: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 5pm - 7pm, Lentz Public Health Center, 2500 Charlotte Ave. Nashville, TN 37209
• Central Hearing: Wednesday, June 12, 2019 10am - 6pm, WeGo Central (2nd Floor meeting room), 400 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd. – Belmont Construction of PAC, pkg garage. This is a come and go open-house format.

Noise Ordinance

Now that the weather is nice, and people are enjoying the outdoors, neighbors should be aware that Nashville has a noise ordinance to guide how our enjoyment affects our neighbors. Amplified music outside is OK, but it shouldn’t be audible beyond your own property lines. Please be mindful of that as you adjust volume.

Brush Pickup

Brush pick-up begins in BHN, 12th South, and Sunnyside on June 27, and in HWEN on July 5. Remember that brush has to pulled away from fences and utility poles so the grapple arm can get to it.

I-440 Construction Updates

The construction process on I-440 is moving through its first phase of smashing up half of the concrete lanes so that the crushed concrete can be used as a base for the new three lane asphalt road. From I-40 to Hillsboro, the work will consist of drainage activities, paving, 24/7 rubblization, and concrete crushing. Between Hillsboro Pike and I-65, work will include median and drainage work; paving; abutment work, demolition, and girder erection at the Craig and Lealand bridges. As part of the widening of the I-440 bridge over I-65 columns and caps are being built below I-440, and a massive Gantry crane has been erected on the I-440 bridge. This part will involve shutting down parts of the interstate completely for at least one weekend day later this summer.

Metro Historic Zoning Commission’s Design Guideline Review

The Metro Historic Zoning Commission’s Design Guideline Review is continuing. The most recent stakeholder’s meeting notes are available on the Nashville.gov website. Also on this page is Victorian Hensley’s PowerPoint presentation and a copy of her study. Metro Historic expects to be announcing soon the contractor who will be working on the outbuilding design guidelines.

Power Of Attorney Help & Guidelines

The Office of the Conservator wants to educate everyone about the importance of designating someone to have Power of Attorney in case of debilitating illness or accidents. The Legal Aid Society will help people fill out the paperwork to select a relative or friend to make important medical or financial decisions for you if you become incapacitated. For people who have not planned ahead and find themselves in that situation the Office of the Conservator is the last resort to appoint a volunteer if there are no friends or relatives available. They provide training and certification to people who are willing to fill this role. For more information, visit the Legal Aid Society’s website or the Office of Conservatorship Management’s webpage.

In Conclusion

I hope everyone is enjoying all the great outdoor activities that are happening around Nashville. Please let me know if you see problems that need fixing or if you just want to chat about what is going on in Metro Government. You can reach me at 615-383-6604 or burkleyforcouncil@burkley.org.

Regards, 
Burkley Allen 
Metro Council 18th District