Sidewalk Variances - these are sidewalks that truly belong in your neighborhood by law

PLEASE email the BZA (BZA@Nashville.gov), your council member and the council at large (councilmembers@nashville.gov) and ask them to PLEASE STOP granting these sidewalk variances.  WE NEED EVERY PIECE OF SIDEWALK in Nashville just to begin to catch up.

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From Walk Bike Nashville website, the sidewalk bill has a lot of pluses:

• Nashville’s streets only have about 19% sidewalk coverage
• At current municipal budgets and costs, it would take between 125 and 635 years to build 1,900 miles of the highest need sidewalks.
• Among other policy improvements, this bill creates requirements for single and two-family houses to implement or pay in-lieu fees for much of the county where none existed before.

The Tennessean recently estimated that the Nations neighborhood has built 5,000 homes in the last six years alone. If we estimate these are narrow homes with 25 foot street frontages, and had this bill been in effect, it would have added over 26 miles of sidewalks, or about $12 million to the in-lieu fee. By comparison, in reality only around $1 million city-wide has been contributed to the in-lieu fee in the past 10 years prior to the bill implementation.

An example of a sidewalk variance requested.  You can see that this is in the 12th South area very near a community center and Sevier Park. 

Sidewalk Bill 493 passed and went into effect July 1, 2017.  If variance requests are routinely granted, it will be at a loss for our neighborhoods and the health & safety of our citizens.

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3/15/2018 - 14 sidewalk variances requested, waiting for update on decision

3/1/2018 - 4 sidewalk variances requests, all 4 granted

1. CASE 2018-020 (Council District – 17)  -
Gary Wisniewski, appellant and O.I.C 1001 Summit Avenue, owner of the property located at 1001 C Summit Avenue, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the District, to construct two single family residences, without construction of updated sidewalk. Referred to the Board under Section 17.20.120.


2. CASE 2018-036 (Council District – 33) -
Gary Bull, appellant and Tandem Investments, LLC, owner of the property located at 1436 Heil Quaker Blvd., requesting variance from sidewalk requirements, but not eligible to pay into the sidewalk fund in the IR District, to construct a new warehouse. Referred to the Board under Section 17.20.120.


3. CASE 2018-038 (Council District – 20) Joshua Bronleewe, appellant and Joshua Bronleewe, owner of the property located at 905 47th Avenue North, requesting variance from sidewalk requirements in the R6 District, to construct a single family residence. Referred to the Board under Section 17.20.120.


4. CASE 2018-039 (Council District – 6) Vincent Morelli, appellant and Pantheon Development, LLC, owner of the property located at 114 Lindsley Park Dr., requesting variance from sidewalk requirements, requesting not to construct or contribute into the sidewalk fund in the R6 District, to construct two single family residences.


5. CASE 2018-042 (Council District – 21) Chad Robbins, appellant and Bemsee, LLC, owner of the property located at 503 Spruce Street, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the OR20 District, to construct a 1629 square foot second floor addition.


6. CASE 2018-048 (Council District – 15)
Josh Randolph, appellant and Josh Randolph, owner of the property located at 294 B Mc Gavock Pike, requesting variance from sidewalk requirements in the R20 District, to construct a second unit of a duplex.


7.CASE 2018-053 (Council District – 15)
Michael and Karen Angarole, appellants and owners of the property located at 2124 Wooddale Lane, requesting variance from sidewalk requirements in the R15 District, to construct single family residence.


8. CASE 2018-055 (Council District – 16)
Mike Donoho, appellant and International Church of foursquare gospel, owner of the property located at 2949 Nolensville Pike, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the CS District, to rehab an office building.

9. CASE 2018-056 (Council District – 05)
Invent Communities, appellant and Invent Communities, owner of the property located at 908 Lischey Ave, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the SP District, to allow construction of townhomes.


10. CASE 2018-059 (Council District – 19)
Willow Street Partners, appellant and owner of the property located at 65 Willow Street, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the OV-UZO, IR District, to construct a 4,000 square foot warehouse.

11. CASE 2018-060 (Council District – 22)
Brendan Boles, appellant and Michael D. Shmerling Partners, owner of the property located at 7025 Charlotte Pike, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the R40 District, for multifamily construction.

12. CASE 2018-062 (Council District – 20)
Jeff Parnell, appellant and Brian Chandler, owner of the property located at 525 Basswood Avenue, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the IWD District, for proposed boat storage facility.

13. CASE 2018-063 (Council District – 18)
Dewey Engineering, appellant and All Sevens, LLC, owner of the property located at 2909 12th Ave. S, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the OR20 District, to construct a yoga studio.

14. CASE 2018-064 (Council District – 24)
Dewey Engineering, appellant and EBO PROPERTIES, GP, owner of the property located at 3813 ELKINS AVE, requesting a variance from sidewalk requirements in the RS5 District, to construct a single family residence.