MADISON, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Madison neighborhood that arose in the 1950s could see the culmination of several years' of work as soon as Tuesday.

The Metro Planning Commission is set to hold its final vote on a Neighborhood Conservation District Overlay for the Marlin Meadows area of Madison, a section located along Neely's Bend Road and above Longfellow Road. Brought by Councilwoman Tonya Hancock at the beginning of the year, the proposed ordinance would establish restrictions on future development in the specified area that would keep the aesthetic integrity of the neighborhood intact.

Supporters of the proposed zoning overly say it will keep their neighborhood like it was when it was first coming up along the riverside.

Opponents say the ordinance is redundant and restricts building materials that are industry standard for renovations or new construction in similar areas.

During the April 24 Metro Council meeting, one owner-occupant said many of the homes in the proposed area contain nonconforming building materials like vinyl, with some of the homes' only historical component being the brick surrounding them. Additionally, while he said the premise of the zoning overlay would be to prevent demolition of current homes in order to construct "tall-and-skinnies"—the more modern-looking homes that many longtime Nashvillians vilify—current Metro codes already prevent that, making the proposed overlay redundant and unnecessary.

Finally, he said the building materials restriction proposed in addition to the overlay would put some homeowners at a higher risk of future home damage by prohibiting metal roofs like many Metro government buildings have. With the frequency and severity of storms increasing in the Nashville area, he said the proposed ordinance would hamstring those homeowners of the future from their ability to protect their homes should a damaging storm come through.

According to Hancock, however, the conservation overlay would not prohibit metal roofs or vinyl siding or gables, as the opposed resident suggested. Instead, it would just monitor new construction, such as for additions to homes or new construction in the specific zone, to ensure it matches the qualities of the current homes.

Further, Hancock said the area is an extremely diverse one, comprised of majority female residents, as well as a range of races and ethnicities.

"Out of the 1,079 people who live there, 245 are two or more races, 245 are white alone, 259 are African-American, 137 are Asian alone, 190 are another race altogether; we have 220 people of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity," she said during the meeting.

Further, Hancock said the average annual income of those who live in the neighborhood is $75,000, while the average home value of the neighborhood lies around $300,000.

Ideally, Hancock said she would like to see the city try to protect the historic neighborhood for the hard-working working class people who call it home.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-neighborhood-news/final-votes-on-marlin-meadows-conservation-zoning-expected-next-week/