[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6291764,"mediaKeyId","2529367-5c923c82104748eec0cc4a311a2b8d69","parentId",2529367,"title","Metro Water details capacity rules: developers pay for upgrades; ratepayer funds not available to subsidize infrastructure for affordable housing","audioSeconds",1276,"startMs",2138000,"endMs",3414000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2529367-5c923c82104748eec0cc4a311a2b8d69&start=2138&end=3414","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2529367-5c923c82104748eec0cc4a311a2b8d69/thumbnail_2138000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6291764/Tennessee/Metro-Water-details-capacity-rules-developers-pay-for-upgrades-ratepayer-funds-not-available-to-subsidize-infrastructure-for-affordable-housing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6291764-a5fc8c7f787c5039e7211e67b2bc919f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160562&Signature=T0jygMVKUo7sbxlvX4zOHdpvkfBJU1AST~iecNVPV7pU~qaBvMa8hvx8As~5s-Pnyg0teHGgWQQOArkIrfFZZw-paSHlCrgFFfUDBQ2Rihj~nFChoLIk8MDH88NW2abiBNBYrzrIMoFeHcn7NUGdtzc93K4NVOFEeyDSh17IGK9LerEskSpPXD633yLE3sQUo541HCPw-pbrIcBz6PxGd~ojbwkH22NBz21v9RJZTzZPHxmWzF54TuEZUv7CeL0Oa6oON9-7fVRLGL2nG-9-VhTDO10mDNipNeuTfWnwAdahU8crbCBRspG6-cAYPysgSszL2i1eesyArLAVCEz9NQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Nashville, TN","date","2025-03-07T22:07:06Z","article","Steve Mishue, an engineer with Metro Water Services, described how the water, sewer and stormwater systems interface with development and the limits on using Metro Water revenue to subsidize construction costs for private development.

Mishue said Metro Water supplies the county outside a handful of utility districts and provided system snapshots during the presentation: he said the water system currently pumps about 10 million gallons per day, the sewer system treats about 50 million gallons per day, and the department operates numerous hydrants and pipe networks (slides shown during the meeting used figures described by Mishue). He also explained that Metro Water requires capacity letters for water and sewer at the time a developer submits plans; if a project increases required pipe size or treatment capacity, the developer must pay to upgrade those elements. \"Before any plan comes in, we will require capacity letters for water and sewer, and, based on their increased usage... they'll have to pay for the increased flows,\" Mishue said.

On funding limits, Mishue emphasized that Metro Water operates as an enterprise fund and must use ratepayer revenue for system obligations. In a question about whether the department could subsidize infrastructure for affordable housing, Mishue said Metro Water cannot reallocate ratepayer funds across service baskets to give developers a break. \"We gotta be very cautious and mindful of how we use rate payers money,\" he said. \"A lot of times, we can't take rate payers money and even shift it from the water sewer world to the stormwater world.\"

Mishue also described stormwater review requirements, low-impact development techniques such as pervious pavement and bioretention, and the department’s recently started stormwater master plan that emphasizes flood reduction, environmental and social considerations. He said some projects may be eligible for participation arrangements in which developers upsize regional facilities and the department seeks council approval for participation and cost-recovery terms.

In the meeting Q&A, planning staff noted an existing program in Planning called the Connecting Housing and Infrastructure Program (CHIP) that provides small capital support for infrastructure barriers to affordable housing, and Mishue and other staff said that such targeted support differs from broad ratepayer subsidies and must be carefully structured.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/07/25 Planning Community Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Metro Water Services said developers must provide capacity letters and pay for upsized pipes and treatment capacity when a project increases demand. Staff cautioned enterprise fund constraints prevent using ratepayer revenue to subsidize developers or shift funds across service lines.","taxTitle","Homelessness Planning Council Meetings, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee","taxId",69325,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6291769,"WeGo and NDOT outline transit upgrades tied to growth; Choose How You Move to fund sidewalks, signals and transit corridors",1013,1113000,2126000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2529367-5c923c82104748eec0cc4a311a2b8d69&start=1113&end=2126","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2529367-5c923c82104748eec0cc4a311a2b8d69/thumbnail_1113000.jpg","/articles/6291769/Tennessee/WeGo-and-NDOT-outline-transit-upgrades-tied-to-growth-Choose-How-You-Move-to-fund-sidewalks-signals-and-transit-corridors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6291769-b609b0ad919262046a055b9f8d0be824/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160562&Signature=Czk8Ljp76WRI3cJ0lR~7lvKWaM3G0B4uXvWk1szrYEbpBbd721olCHKa1K257Rbe~UcTAO37oHmE4v9jsCD7tWmvATI0rbhgYLSU6GbuZyLEAeUY8u24onU~Mbb8L1qpg4uebUz24jshjiewtBC9kKJIR3d9-wGyBT7ukDHhk2Bo0kmGwtwVnF7RGlxKDTQdbRk3oRbzoEWkFtPiEQamPpkvPsM0cy2S8fDJbj9R6l7F7-BCR0-U2HWQIAQBocEt0CgcYszWuhxYMAEyglCHwWAp-NOM39RQLuuH5MrefE1LO07oQHK2dBNvV31vZwsQ-nqVf-MDtwNHtwQC9ue9Sw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Felix Castredad, a WeGo operations official, and Marty Sewell, transportation planning director for Metro Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), described how transit service and street investments must link to where the city adds housing.

Castredad said WeGo carries a little more than 8 million rides a year and that roughly 75% of ridership is concentrated on major corridors. He told the community that some areas with higher transit propensity — measured by lower incomes, 0-car households and other census indicators — fall outside the agency’s frequent-route network and have seen ridership declines as housing costs pushed people to the county edges. To address gaps, WeGo has been adding cross‑town routes that avoid the downtown-oriented hub pattern and creating transfer points such as the Dr. Ernest Reed Patton North Nashville Transit Center, where service changes increased access to jobs and services. Castredad said access to jobs within a 30-minute trip area around that center rose from roughly 13,000 jobs before service changes to about 64,000 after the redesign.

Sewell described how the voter-approved Choose How You Move program will fund a mix of transit service and street upgrades that NDOT expects to connect growth areas. He said the program will enable modernizing about two-thirds of the city’s traffic signals, construct about 86 miles of sidewalks on the priority sidewalk network, deliver roughly 54 miles of all‑access corridors that prioritize transit, and advance about 39 miles of complete‑streets projects. Sewell also cited NDOT’s Vision Zero action plan and the department’s high‑injury network analysis, saying the Choose How You Move investments would transform nearly 80 miles of road that account for most severe injuries and deaths.

Why it matters: Transit frequency, safety and connected sidewalks affect where denser housing can function without large new auto travel demand. Both presenters tied service design to equity: Castredad emphasized station-area access and safer transfer locations in neighborhoods with transit-dependent residents; Sewell said multimodal analysis for site development now includes safety and mitigation measures beyond car-focused traffic impacts.

Implementation notes: Castredad and Sewell said many improvements are underway or planned; some are expensive because they require right-of-way, signal work or topography-related investments. Sewell noted limits imposed by court decisions and state law on assessing impact fees for development but said the multimodal transportation analysis (MMTA) guidelines aim to ensure new development contributes appropriate mitigation such as sidewalks, bus stops or signals.","Public transit operators and city transportation staff told a community meeting that improving transit service and street infrastructure is central to accommodating projected housing growth; they described cross‑town routes, a new transit center in North Nashville and investments enabled by the voter-approved Choose How You Move program.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6291774,"Nashville planning staff say current zoning could produce 70,000 units while city needs about 90,000; study to report findings to council in March",1068,34000,1102000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2529367-5c923c82104748eec0cc4a311a2b8d69&start=34&end=1102","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2529367-5c923c82104748eec0cc4a311a2b8d69/thumbnail_34000.jpg","/articles/6291774/Tennessee/Nashville-planning-staff-say-current-zoning-could-produce-70000-units-while-city-needs-about-90000-study-to-report-findings-to-council-in-March","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6291774-00b287ea55df5590f80f19d32637e035/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160562&Signature=EGfIBrKtinnlU8JGQk1WZkjwoBBU35-uJHym-YY6lyFCU4HjKpWg6RBn7RbX25Wc7y~l9acl-3XM~DUH~YRg7a1HSoolF7Z2pFV3C1eNGROT2jz3L1lZkOH~48dCseLh0cHsvJJiWiu1tq88EFHdo6hVk0gnldfqFoAec7g140QLBZZgEKJJNjO~9K2YVKU1nZdrd-ejHmc9S5GTwIDayXxvg5Xr4EZz3MniqoJSmVSH5F36rolq05CQbOQxDiD0gLEITMNFQnVOe~BBDAgpK8ft---DBLV3CO8C1T1ME25l0MV912JfEa4QgexQ2JPAKc6RgCaFQLsuSk7y0VBOxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Greg Claxton, principal planner with Metro Nashville Planning Department, told a public community conversation that the department has launched a housing and infrastructure study to examine whether local rules limit how much housing gets built.

Claxton said initial estimates show the city’s existing zoning and map could yield roughly 70,000 housing units over the next 10 years under current rules, while a separate Unified Housing Strategy estimate suggests Nashville should plan for about 90,000 additional homes; planners are considering an additional 20,000–30,000-unit buffer beyond that. \"We think under the current zoning code and the current zoning map, we expect that we could build out probably 70,000 units,\" Claxton said. He added the Unified Housing Strategy figure of 90,000 units is the more realistic planning target and that staff are still refining the final numbers.

The study will look at the rules that govern how property can be used and how those rules shape where and what form housing gets built, Claxton said. \"This study is not focused on affordable housing with one minor caveat that I'm gonna explain later on,\" he said, noting the study is primarily about market-rate production and zoning rather than subsidy programs.

Why it matters: planners said household formation — the number of households created as adult children form new households and others move into separate units — has spiked since 2020 and is the main driver of housing demand. Claxton showed the planning framework the department uses, Nashville Next, and described the growth-and-preservation concept map that guides where officials expect growth to occur: centers and corridors targeted for more housing, a green network of preservation areas, and transition-and-infill zones within roughly 600 feet of corridors and centers intended to smooth transitions to neighborhoods.

Planned process and timing: Claxton told attendees the study is at an early stage and that staff will bring a findings report to Metro Council in March, followed by additional engagement and refining of recommendations through April–June, with a final report expected in June. \"We will bring a report to council at the March that compiles all of our findings and provides a set of recommendations,\" he said, adding that recommendations will focus on zoning code changes, modestly scaled district standards, and map adjustments in strategic locations.

State tool and affordability: Claxton noted one limited intersection with subsidized housing: a new state tool that would allow a bonus program in which a property owner could receive developmental entitlements in exchange for providing a small number of affordable units. Staff said they are investigating whether and how a bonus program could be calibrated for Nashville.

Public questions and coordination: In a public question, resident George Ewing asked whether growth pressures at the county edge and intercounty commuting were creating transit demand and whether the city’s housing study is coordinated with a countywide conservation master plan. Claxton acknowledged multiple ongoing planning efforts — including coordination with the regional council’s transportation planning and a conservation study — and said the department expects to phase recommendations so initial zoning tools can be proposed even while other studies continue to refine guidance.

What’s next: The Planning Department is scheduling additional community conversations (announced at the meeting for Madison Library and Bordeaux Library) and maintaining materials and a longer explainer video on the department website for people who want more detail.","Metro Nashville planners told a community meeting they are studying how the city's rules shape housing supply after projecting a gap between expected housing under current zoning and the number planners say the city should plan for. Staff will present findings to the Metro Council in March and pursue further community engagement before bringing a ","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Metro Water details capacity rules: developers pay for upgrades; ratepayer funds not available to subsidize infrastructure for affordable housing

WeGo and NDOT outline transit upgrades tied to growth; Choose How You Move to fund sidewalks, signals and transit corridors

Nashville planning staff say current zoning could produce 70,000 units while city needs about 90,000; study to report findings to council in March