Commission approves revised plan for Eastman's Preserve cemetery area with limited fencing and enhanced entry

The Brentwood Municipal Planning Commission voted May 5 to recommend approval of a revised preliminary plan for the Eastman's Preserve subdivision that changes how a small, historic cemetery on the site will be defined and protected.

Reagan Smith Associates presented a 25-lot subdivision plan that modifies an earlier approval: instead of a continuous enclosure, the new proposal would create a more open but defined cemetery area with stone entry columns, landscaping at the corners, and segments of black two-board railing fencing along parts of the perimeter. The applicant presented the cemetery as containing two headstones and several depressions in the ground that the project team described as probable unmarked gravesites.

David Acheson of the Riverstone Group told the commission the developer wants the cemetery to be publicly accessible and to be presented as a special feature rather than a fenced-off barren field. The applicant proposed six stone columns with signage at the entrance, expanded landscaping and accent fencing to "announce" the site rather than fully enclose it.

Commissioners asked about precedent: staff said the commission historically has required full fencing in new subdivisions, although the code does not mandate fencing. Commissioners expressed concern for protection and definition; several members said fencing has been a common requirement in recent subdivisions. The applicant said the proposed landscaping, selective fencing and marked entrance would define limits while improving the site's appearance.

The applicant said it will collaborate with the historic commission on signage and historical narrative content. Staff noted the Daughters of the American Revolution had previously placed a marker in approximately 2003. The plan also includes a 50-foot buffer/tree reserve along the property line shared with the Tennessee Baptist Children's Homes campus.

The commission voted to approve the revised preliminary plan and forward a recommendation to the board of commissioners; the transcript records the motion passed "6 to 1." Staff had recommended approval with 13 standard requirements and one condition requiring the applicant to meet staff notes.

The transcript records the applicant noting the cemetery's small number of marked graves and saying the intent is to enhance public access and recognition; the commission acknowledged both the historic value and the design trade-offs of partial fencing versus continuous enclosure.