EAST NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We know a lot of you were drawn to your community because you liked what you saw. Just like people, neighborhoods have personalities all their own.
Overdevelopment can threaten the character of a community, but contextual overlays are a zoning tool designed to help.
"We fought to get a contextual overlay," explained Erica Gluck. "It was something we did with so much intention and purpose because we wanted to preserve what we had left."
Gluck lives on Corder Drive in East Nashville in a house she bought 10 years ago. In 2020, she helped collect signatures to create the contextual overlay.
"A plan was made here. A plan that suited the community that [still] suits the community," said Luz Bravo-Gleicher, a neighbor.
While the neighbors thought the contextual overlay would protect the character of their community, a little-known state law is allowing a tall and skinny to be built on a corner lot.
"Because he's found this loophole, it will be the only house on this block that will ever look like that," Gluck said.
The address of the proposed property is 1411 Corder Drive, but it is legally part of Sheridan Drive. It is a horizontal property regime — basically it is shared by several owners and there can be multiple properties. Albeit large, the contextual overlay did not include Sheridan, it cannot be applied to a parcel that is not within the overlay’s geographic boundaries.
"I just wonder how many other people in Nashville, in Middle Tennessee are going through or about to go through the same thing," Jay Freeman, a neighbor said.
I found the plans the investors submitted to the city for the new house. The house will be just 23 feet wide, more than 3,000 square feet in size and up to three stories high.
For perspective, the ranches on the 1400 block of Corder Drive are about 25 feet wide and 15 feet tall.
The landscape of our communities is changing. I want to know how that is affecting your quality of life. Send me an email at Hannah.McDonald@newschannel5.com.
"We're going to have to look at this long after the developer has cashed that check and moved on to the next neighborhood," said Robin Crutcher, a neighbor.
We talked with one of the investors, who said he's 100% sure they're following the rules.
The neighbors plan to talk with Metro's Zoning Appeals Board to see if there is any legal remedy.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
