NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some neighbors want city officials to fix traffic problems before they approve large-scale developments.
The former Nashville Auto Diesel College property, which is now Lincoln Tech, will be redeveloped after it was sold. Developer Southern Land Company plans to have retail space next to hundreds of homes and multi-family units.
“There are some great upsides. I think it’s going to be a beautiful development, I think hopefully it will raise my property value and give me something to walk to just a couple blocks away, similar to what folks in Five Points can do,” neighbor Scott Wilson said.
However, Wilson said the down side is traffic on Gallatin Avenue.
“Trying to get out between 7 and 10 a.m. and between 4 and 7 p.m., trying to get home literally from a mile away could take 25 minutes."
He said they need a traffic light, too.
“I can’t imagine that that’s going to get any better any time soon, with the extra number of folks moving in, unless they change the timing of the lights and add some sidewalks,” Wilson said.
The developer will build some sidewalks, bike lanes, and an enhanced pedestrian crossing.
A Nashville Department of Transportation spokesperson said it would sync up with a potential roadway expansion on Gallatin Avenue. The city has identified the street as an immediate need high-capacity transit corridor, but a timeline for its future is unclear.
"I’m all for growth. My problem with Metro has always been that it seems like they let the growth happen before they address the infrastructure," neighbor Macon Kimbrough said.
Kimbrough lives near the college, and he drives to job sites for work.
"You could have massive traffic problems there," Kimbrough said, "300,000 square feet of retail space is a pretty significant amount for that area right now."
He fears the city is putting the cart before the horse.
“If Metro follows through with what their normal M.O. is... this is going to be an issue way before it gets solved,” Kimbrough said.
