Pushback against MNPD
Plus, a developer backs down and sidewalks and bike lanes in limbo
Good morning, Nashville! It’s Wednesday, August 19th. Thank you for reading nash.news!
⚡ Quick hits
Weather: 🌦️ Chance of thunderstorms overnight. High: 96, Low: 74.
New restrictions on police drones are one vote away from becoming law, and the Metro Council also advanced plans for a $1 billion expansion to the Music City Center.
NDOT blamed staffing issues at the state and federal level for multiple delayed road projects.
What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods, including new enforcement against a shopping center with a history of codes issues and a setback for the Opry Mills greenway connector.
Get nash.news delivered straight to your inbox for free every weekday morning by entering your email. You can also support my work to simplify Nashville by sharing with a friend. Thank you!
✅ Police drone restrictions, Music City Center expansion advance
In the latest battle over police surveillance in Nashville, Metro Police are one vote away from the consequences of launching a “drone as first responder” pilot program without permission from the Metro Council. Legislation that would limit how police use drones received the second of three approvals needed to become law last night.
“MNPD has shown it can’t be trusted to interpret its own limits,” one speaker said during public comment before last night’s vote, joining several others who criticized police surveillance. The legislation closes an apparent legal loophole police used to send drones to incidents before officers. Despite Metro law requiring approval of surveillance programs, a spokesperson for the mayor told the Nashville Scene it provides an exemption for “surveillance technology ‘used on a temporary basis’ for investigations, warrants or exigent circumstances.”
The legislation also limits the types of calls a “drone as first responder” program could respond to if a program is approved. I reported earlier this month that the most common call for the pilot program based at the Madison precinct was “disorderly person.” If this bill becomes law, a “drone as first responder” could be used for active shooter incidents, hostage situations, active searches for missing persons, and in response to a state of emergency that “presents an immediate threat to life and critical infrastructure.”
Metro Council members Tonya Hancock and Jeff Eslick voted against the legislation. Council member Joy Styles abstained from the vote.
Expanding the Music City Center
A $1 billion plan to expand the convention center moved forward last night. The Metro Council gave the Convention Center Authority permission to take out bonds for the project. The expansion doesn’t appear to be at that point yet, but the authority has said it wants to add 300,000 square feet because the current space is too small to host some conventions. It hasn’t announced a location for the expansion.
The Metro Council also agreed to refinancing that ends Metro’s backing of Music City Center debt. The city’s finance director has said the city could use the freed up borrowing capacity for affordable housing.
🚗 Transportation projects in limbo
NDOT blamed federal staffing cuts and TDOT staff turnover, among other things, for transportation project delays across Nashville. Here are specifics:
A “steep reduction” in federal staffing and “changing attitudes” have left the East Nashville Spokes project, which includes protected bike lanes and better pedestrian crossings, stuck in the federal approval process, according to NDOT. Plans were submitted in November and typically take 30 to 60 days for review.
Asked by Metro Council member Burkley Allen why sidewalk projects that were supposed to be complete last year have been delayed till 2031 in the most extreme case, NDOT blamed staffing turnover at TDOT and ongoing right-of-way acquisition issues. Here are projects getting a deadline extension:
Harding Place from Danby Drive to Nolensville Pike - extension to 2028
Lebanon Pike from McGavock Pike to Old Lebanon Pike - extension to 2029
Gallatin Pike Complete Street Project (includes sidewalk upgrades) from Alta Loma Road to Liberty Lane - extension to 2031
🏠 What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods
Hermitage
A shopping center with dozens of codes complaints over the years was cited this week for junk, trash, debris, and high grass, according to a Metro Codes database. You can read the codes history for 3435 Lebanon Pike by clicking this link.
After more than 20 water breaks in a year in council district 12, which covers part of Hermitage, Metro Council member Erin Evans plans to call a community meeting with Metro Water Services next month to discuss water main breaks, flooding, and development. I’ll let you know when a date and location are finalized.
Opryland
The long-discussed Opry Mills greenway connector is now $5 million short in funding, according to a Metro Parks official, because of increased costs and site conditions. The official expects Metro to come up with the money, but the city could lose a TDOT grant for the project if it doesn’t. Metro Parks hopes to begin work in about 10 months.
New restaurant at Opry Mills: Taste Italian Kitchen filed for a permit to build a new restaurant.
Donelson
A developer who planned to split up the historic Logue House property at 115 Cottage Lane to build townhomes alongside the house “agreed to pause his plans,” Metro Council member Jeff Gregg said in a Facebook post.
Antioch
New park: someone plans to donate 15 acres of land to Metro for a new park in Antioch, according to a Metro Parks official, along with money to develop the park. In an area with a “dearth of parks,” the official called the donation a “gift from heaven.” The official did not announce a location.
North Nashville
While violent and property crime continued to decrease in Davidson County over the past eight weeks, digging into data for individual precincts shows a different trend in the North precinct. Property crimes, including home burglaries and auto thefts, increased more than 25% from 210 cases to 264 cases.
Downtown(ish)
As a downtown resident, every time I walk or drive down Division Street, it seems something has changed. Here’s the latest development: a $1.5 million building permit application for a new restaurant at 900 Division Street. The permit doesn’t name the restaurant, but the project appears to be significant because I rarely see a dollar value that high.
A new coffee shop called Grace’s Coffee Shop is planned for the Symphony Place skyscraper on 3rd Avenue South, according to a permit application.
📰 A few final headlines…
“Medication mix-up during several surgeries at Ascension St. Thomas Hospital left at least one person paralyzed” (WTVF)
While the Metro Council considers a ban on at least some right turns at red lights after a rise in pedestrian deaths, a spokesperson for House Speaker Cameron Sexton tells me, “Speaker Sexton is adamantly against banning right turns on red. It’s a ridiculous proposal only Democrats could support.” The spokesperson did not respond when I asked whether the speaker is considering a legislative solution to his concerns. Congressional Republicans have pushed to reverse Washington D.C.’s ban on right turns at red lights.
After years of declines, the median rent for Nashville-area apartments increased 0.6% since last year, according to new data from Zillow. 63% of rentals have a concession like several months of free rent.
🍔 MAP: click here for restaurant inspections across Nashville
Thank you for reading nash.news! Just reply to this email if you have a correction, story idea, concerns about my coverage, or anything else. You can also email me at ryan@nash.news. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow! - Ryan