Along Bell Road in Antioch, the familiar sounds of construction fill the air. However, the 548 unit complex is an example of what area officials hope to stop from getting built in the future, at least just for a little bit.
"We're growing so fast that we're not taking care of the infrastructure needs that come as a result of that growth," District 29 Councilwoman Karen Y. Johnson said.
Johnson is one of three council members co sponsoring legislation that, if passed, would put a 120 day moratorium on development in their districts, essentially stopping all development growth from moving forward and Johnson said there's a good reason why.
"We have long been saying in Southeast Nashville that we need help in terms of infrastructure upgrades, infrastructure improvements, catching up our schools," she said.
Johnson said the roads, sewer system and sidewalks desperately need attention from Metro, and then there's the schools. "We're over 100 percent capacity in majority all of our schools, if not all," she said.
The fire hall in her district already responds to more calls than most throughout the county and talk of a new police precinct next door has been tabled. In it's place, possibly another multi-family development.
"I think we're crowded as it is," resident Thomas DuBois said. "Right now this neighborhood has got all it can hold."
"I think we need to slow that down a little bit, get our planning in place and start to look at, ok we need these things in these places," said Johnson.
The Metro planning director has gone on record opposing the ordinance, citing other parts of Nashville that have seen the same if not more growth in multi-family complexes. However, Johnson maintains Antioch has not seen the kind of incentives offered to other areas.
"We know what's best because we're listening to our constituents and this is what they would like to see," said Johnson.
The first of three votes on the legislation is set for later this week.
