We are concerned neighbors taking a stand
We are committed to preserving what make our community special, especially as Nashville confronts unprecedented growth. We encourage resilient, fact-based development that is consistent with surrounding neighborhoods and the principles endorsed in Bellevue’s Community Plan. Our Community Plan strikes a balance between various types of land use (including both suburban and rural) to help ensure that the impacts of development on infrastructure are spread throughout the entire community. The land form guidelines in the plan disfavor ad hoc designations of zoning to accommodate a developer or land owner at the expense of surrounding neighborhoods.
Build Bellevue Stronger!
What is being proposed?
Ariza Bellevue is a high density (417 unit) apartment complex proposed to be built by an out-of-state developer at 1084 Morton Mill Rd., a land parcel that is currently a horse farm on a flood-prone bend of the Harpeth River. It is unprecedented to build a development of this size and density on the Harpeth River, a free-flowing river with constrained surrounding road and flood control infrastructure. The developers are proposing to expand the site’s footprint even further by building a bridge for resident access that connects to Coley Davis Rd., across a sensitive flood plain and the Harpeth River. High density development on this parcel, adjacent to a Metro’s undeveloped Bellevue Park, poses serious safety, traffic, and flooding concerns for existing and new residents. A private developer’s plan to design and build public infrastructure that will dictate the design and reconstruction of Coley Davis Rd. and access to amenities in Bellevue Park should not proceed without Metro government first undertaking a Local Planning Study related to public road access for residents along Coley Davis Rd. and adopting a Master Plan with community input for Bellevue Park.
3D Renderings of the proposed development
After the March meeting, Bellevue residents talked to a professional about how to address Commissioner Johnson's question and she was surprised to hear that no 3D renderings had been a part of the public discussion of this project, especially given its scale, dramatic contrast with surrounding buildings, and natural setting. On a pro bono basis, she prepared these rough renderings in Revit based on the building height/sf/footprint dimensions in the SP, and in publicly available Metro records for nearby buildings in Bellevue. The flood data used to simulate water levels comes from publicly available sources.
Check out these videos highlighting our concerns
The proposed development is catching the attention of local news programs. Our voice is being heard, but we are not finished!
More than 2000+ Bellevue residents
have signed a petition opposing rezoning this parcel for Ariza Bellevue. This high-density project is not consistent with Bellevue’s Community Plan and, even if the Community Plan is amended, is not feasible in this area without making significant improvements to infrastructure to address adverse traffic, safety, and extreme flood impacts prior to the issuance of any new permits for multifamily construction.
Multiple petitions and hundreds of comments opposing this land use change (overwhelmingly concentrated from residents of Districts 35 and 22) have been filed with the Planning Commission. Here are a few representative examples:
Carol Childress (District 22 - Hausser) on safety concerns for senior residents off Coley Davis Rd.
Meredith Whittemore (District 22 - Hausser) on flood concerns with Ariza Bellevue
Steve Scioscia (District 35 - Rosenberg) on concerns with Ariza Bellevue
Mike Armstrong (District 22 - Hausser) on adverse impacts of Ariza Bellevue
Laura Powers (District 35 - Rosenberg) on Ariza Bellevue’s adverse flooding and safety impacts
Rebecca Shrem (District 22 - Hausser) on the need for more single family housing options in Bellevue
Teresa Bogema (District 22 - Hausser) on adverse impacts of Ariza Bellevue
Dorie Bolze from the Harpeth Conservancy on flood and safety concerns