The Nashville Planning Commission approved a specific plan for the Martin & Merritt site, a multi-build development that retains the Vintage Millworks building and would add a hotel, apartments and public open space. The plan was presented by planning staff and the applicant team and was approved with conditions and a major modification to the Wedgwood-Houston-Chestnut-Hill Urban Design Overlay for front-yard setbacks along Hamilton Avenue.

Kim Hawkins of Hawkins Partners, representing the developer Samara Road, told commissioners the team met with neighbors after a June hearing and made multiple clarifications: lowered residential height to four stories, added operating restrictions for a rooftop pool and bar, clarified alley and construction-access limits, committed to off-site sidewalk improvements and added a table of permitted uses for the preserved mill building. A neighborhood group (SNAP) submitted a letter of support after its June 24 meeting and a public meeting on July 7.

Opponents spoke about traffic and parking: one resident noted concerns that the traffic study had been performed months earlier and asked whether updated counts are needed; others asked for sidewalks on Moore Avenue and questioned parking counts for a hotel and 175 residential units. Applicant representatives clarified the hotel would be 150 rooms, the plan provides about 340 parking spaces on site and that the location is served by multiple transit lines.

Staff noted the site straddles two policy subdistricts (T4 urban mixed-use neighborhood and T4 urban neighborhood evolving). The approved SP keeps a retained historic building on the east, a seven-story hotel and a four-story multifamily building; vehicular access would be from Martin Street (to a below-grade garage) and Merritt Avenue (loading) with no new alley connection via Hamilton.

Commissioners said they appreciated the additional community engagement and concessions from the applicant. After brief discussion the commission voted to approve the SP with conditions and the requested modification to the overlay.