Planning board recommends conditional nonresidential rezoning for Nashville Junction site

The Town of Nashville Planning Board voted unanimously Feb. 25 to recommend approval of conditional rezoning CZNR200501 for the Nashville Junction parcel and adjacent parking areas, converting roughly 2.82 acres from Industrial-1 (I-1) to Conditional Zoning Nonresidential (CZNR). Applicant Hurd LLC (Michael Hurd) participated by phone and described the goal of bringing mixed commercial and civic uses to the Junction buildings.

Staff summarized the request and said the site lies within the town’s downtown municipal service district and is currently zoned industrial. The packet lists a range of potential nonresidential uses the applicant is requesting to allow under the CZNR district, including retail, farmer’s market/produce sales, food and beverage establishments, manufacturing and assembly of small-scale goods, a museum or community center, educational satellite sites, and other commercial uses. Staff’s recommended development conditions require that any new or additional uses not listed must return for Planning Board and Town Council approval.

Michael Hurd, on the phone, said the intent is a mixed-use redevelopment to revitalize a historic property and create economic activity in downtown Nashville. “We want to be able to have a mixed use development that can cater to a number of different businesses,” Hurd said. Staff reminded the board that the conditional rezoning list is broad but that any new use not already listed would require an amendment approved by the Planning Board and Town Council.

The planning board included development conditions in its recommendation: (1) the property must be developed according to an approved site plan and the listed uses in the staff packet; (2) substantial modifications to the approved site plan may require additional review by the TRC, Planning Board and Town Council; (3) the applicant must comply with the Town of Nashville noise ordinance (no unreasonable loud or disturbing noise between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.); and (4) the conditional rezoning will be invalid unless the petitioner consents in writing to the attached development conditions.

At the board’s request, staff confirmed that the list in the packet was intentionally broad to allow multiple tenant types and that, where retail or similar uses are proposed, the developer can typically proceed without returning to the board; uses outside the packet would require an amendment and additional public notifications. After discussion the board voted to forward the recommendation to Town Council for final action.