Cheatham County commissioners hear divided public comment on rezoning request in Pilgrim

A rezoning request by property owners Lee and Christian Dalton to change a 4.2-acre parcel in the Pilgrim area from E1 zoning to R1 drew a split public hearing before the Cheatham County Commission.

The applicants seek to rezone the lot so it can be subdivided into two single-family lots, with one home on each new parcel. "This is a homegrown Cheatham County family that is going to have lots for their children to stay," said Matthew Shuff, identifying himself as a Pilgrim-area resident in favor of the change. "As Nashville does creep out, it's hard for families to get a start," he said.

Opponents said the property does not meet existing E1 rules. A resident who identified concerns about county standards said, "To build a house, it's 3 acres. So it does not meet the requirements of the county." That speaker, citing prior permit denials in the neighborhood, urged the commission to uphold the county's minimum-lot-size policy.

Why it matters: The rezoning would change the minimum-lot expectations on a rural stretch of Sears Road, a corridor several speakers described as narrow and already subject to cut-through traffic. Opponents said allowing a parcel-by-parcel rezoning would set a precedent to subdivide other large parcels; supporters argued the change would allow local families to remain in the community and add modest, single-family housing.

What supporters told the commission: Several residents and property owners said smaller lots already exist nearby as preexisting nonconformities and that two new 2,000-square-foot single-family houses would not constitute high-density development. "It will lead to overdevelopment. I don't believe that 2 homes qualify as overdevelopment," said a supporter who had distributed a flyer in the neighborhood. Kevin Eeks, a civil engineer who spoke in favor, said from a road-design perspective "we're arguing about how somebody's backyard needs to be," and characterized the change as adding one additional house rather than large-scale development.

What opponents told the commission: People who live on Sears Road described safety and infrastructure concerns. One opponent said parts of Sears Road are too narrow for two vehicles to pass, calling the road "extremely rural" and saying it lacks infrastructure to support additional higher-density construction. Another resident raised the risk that parcel-by-parcel approvals would steadily reduce minimum-lot sizes across the area.

A letter from Pilgrim Mayor Charles Morehead was read into the record supporting the rezoning as "thoughtful, family-centered growth" and arguing the change would help sustain local schools and the tax base.

Procedure and outcome: The public hearing was closed and a motion to approve the rezoning was made by Commissioner Diana Lovell and seconded by Commissioner Bill Powers. The matter was taken to roll call. The transcript of the provided audio includes the motion, the second and the roll call being called; the final roll-call tally for this specific item is not clearly recorded in the excerpt provided. The record shows where the motion and roll call occurred but does not include an explicit "motion carries" line for this agenda item in the supplied transcript segment.

Background and context: Speakers referenced a May 1 zoning/building commission meeting in which the zoning commission had recommended denial. Speakers on both sides pointed to preexisting lots that are smaller than 3 acres and to prior approvals in the general area. Several speakers described the north side of Cheatham County and Pilgrim as an area under development pressure from Nashville-area growth.

Next steps: The record shows the commission moved the item to a vote after public comment; any final disposition should be confirmed in the adopted minutes or the county clerk's official record, which are the authoritative sources for the final vote tally and ordinance status.