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Board grants two‑year permit for Joelton beach‑volleyball site with neighbor conditions
Summary
The Metro Board of Zoning Appeals approved a two‑year special exception for the decades‑old Nashville Beach volleyball courts in Joelton, imposing conditions including limiting growth to four courts and barring amplified music after an evening hour to address neighbor concerns about dust, parking and safety.
The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals on May 21 approved a time‑limited special exception allowing the recreational use of the Nashville Beach volleyball courts on Bidwell Road in Joelton, with conditions intended to address neighbors’ traffic and safety concerns.
Janice Reese, who with her husband Raymond said they have run the site “for over 30 years,” told the board the request seeks to formalize a long‑standing community recreational use that serves youth and families. Counsel Shawn Henry argued the site met the specific criteria for a special exception, noting mature buffers and limited hours: “this operation needs to be on a collector street … it is daylight hours only,” he said.
Opposition focused on the access drive to the property, which neighbors described as a narrow, one‑lane gravel easement. Neighbor Gary Bone told the board the operation created dust, noise and safety problems for residents: “It’s codes violation,” he said, and described days when many vehicles arrived for events. Neighbors asked that any approval not “run with the land” to prevent future owners converting the site to a larger commercial venue.
Board members debated mitigation options including pull‑outs on the driveway, dust suppression and a time limit on the special exception to give neighbors a chance to judge whether conditions were followed. Several members said a short‑term approval would encourage the applicant to make improvements while giving the board an opportunity to review later.
A motion to grant the special exception passed with conditions that include a two‑year review period, a prohibition on expanding beyond the existing four courts, and a restriction on amplified music (the board discussed a 7:00 p.m. cutoff that the applicant accepted during the hearing). The board also noted that required permits and any stormwater or building approvals must be obtained before work or major changes proceed.
The board told the Reeses to coordinate with the Codes Department and neighbors to document any roadway pull‑outs and dust‑control measures and to return if complaints are filed or if the board is asked to revisit the permission.
The decision was aimed at balancing the site’s long history of use and community benefits with neighbors’ documented safety and nuisance concerns; board members said the two‑year limit would provide an enforcement and review point.
