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Britton Downs HOA urges stricter school-hour parking restrictions near Sunset Elementary and Middle
Summary
Residents of the Britton Downs neighborhood told Nolensville commissioners during a public hearing that morning-dropoff and afternoon-pickup parking by nonresidents creates safety risks for elementary students and asked the town to change signage placement and enforcement times in proposed Ordinance 25-23.
Representatives of the Britton Downs Homeowners Association and neighboring residents spoke at length during the public hearing on Ordinance 25-23, the traffic- and parking-related amendment addressing neighborhood parking near Sunset Elementary and Sunset Middle schools.
Gary Garrison, representing the Britton Downs HOA, asked the board to align restricted signage with school bell times and to extend restricted areas to capture side streets where parents currently park. He told the board the HOA is asking the town to set morning drop-off restrictions to match school bell times (roughly 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and to change afternoon restrictions to better match pick-up times; Garrison suggested an afternoon window of 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to prevent a "swarming" effect of parent drivers converging on neighborhood cul-de-sacs and sidewalks.
Garrison and resident Jason Richardson asked the town to locate signs at the pedestrian access points that feed the school sidewalks (Garrison identified addresses to move signage toward 1501 and 1561 on the map shown to commissioners) and to limit enforcement to periods when school is in session so legitimate service providers (moving trucks, lawn care) are not routinely ticketed.
Why this matters: Neighbors said parked cars in cul-de-sacs and along Queen Anne's Court force children to cross active travel lanes and increase the risk of crashes. Richardson said the planned signage should be designed to be unobtrusive and compatible with the neighborhood's residential character.
Board action: The public hearing for Ordinance 25-23 was completed and the item was closed for that hearing period. No final vote on the ordinance was recorded at the June 5 session; staff and the board will consider the public input before further action.
Next steps: Residents asked staff for a revised signage plan and for town enforcement to adopt the suggested time windows and the limited-in-session enforcement approach. Town staff indicated they had already visited the site and would continue follow-up with the HOA to refine the sign locations and enforcement timing.
Ending: The board closed the public hearing after hearing comments from the Britton Downs HOA and adjoining homeowners. Commissioners said they will review the submitted concerns before advancing the ordinance to the next procedural step.
