Metro Nashville’s fourteen Community Plans are future planning documents adopted by the Metropolitan Planning Commission that describe the role each community plays in realizing the overall vision of the County – what residential, commercial, office, and open space each community will house for the County. Community Plans are prepared by the Metro Planning Department in cooperation with residents, business owners, property owners, institutional representatives, developers, and elected officials.
NashvilleNext (Nashville’s comprehensive plan) includes all the 14 community plans. Community Plans provide guidance and consistency for land use decisions over the long term. Community character (land use) policies are applied to every area. Each plan is guided by the Community Character Manual (CCM), a countywide document which provides design details for policies and their direction for zoning and development decisions.
While Community Plans provide guidance over the long term, they are not static documents. Community Plans can be amended from time to time to take advantage of new opportunities, address new ideas, or respond to identified problems. Amendments are considered with input from community members, private investors, local institutions, and other Metro agencies. The process for updating community plans is open to the public and includes significant community participation. Sometimes a plan amendment is generated by a property owner’s request and application. At other times, an amendment occurs as part of a Local Planning Study.
Community Character Manual policies, and their transects, have a limited role in subdividing land. Transects determine which section of the Subdivision Regulations apply to a subdivision request to ensure harmonious development in light of a community's long-range vision. Community Character Manual policies are not otherwise referenced during subdivision review.
Community Plan Amendment Process
Community Plans contain long-range guidance that is established through extensive public participation processes. Long-range direction is established for relatively large areas that have implications beyond individual sites. These broader implications mean that the process of amending community character policy in a community plan is significantly more involved than changing a single property's zoning.
When is a Community Plan amendment needed?
Community Plans are living documents that respond to current conditions. From time to time, a neighborhood may need to change a land use policy to better match a community's vision. Or a property owner may request to change a land use policy in order to support a rezoning application. For example, if your policy is designated for residential uses and you want to build a coffee shop, you will need to change the policy for your property to one that supports a mix of uses.
Planning Department staff recommendations to the Planning Commission regarding zone change applications are based on the community character policies that are applied to all properties in Davidson County. These policies are applied through the community planning process. In order for a zone change proposal to be supportable, the requested zoning must be consistent with the policy(ies) that apply to that site.
A plan amendment to change community character policy may be required when the desired land use for development is not consistent with the adopted policy.
Potential applicants need to consult both the Community Character Manual (CCM) and the community plan that applies to their site. This will determine if you will need to submit a community plan amendment application along with your zone change application. The CCM and 14 Community Plans are companion documents. The CCM contains all of the standard development and preservation policies for Davidson County. The 14 Community Plan also contain any Supplemental Policies that may provide additional guidance beyond the standards in the CCM for a particular area. Potential applicants should read the land use policies for their site to make sure you understand them before beginning the application process.
Before you file a community plan amendment application, make sure you have completed the following:
- Consult the Interactive Property Maps to determine which Community Plan covers the area and which standard land use policy and Supplemental Policy (if any) apply to the site.
- Consult the Community Character Manual to read and understand the aspects of the policy that applies to the site and read the applicable Community Plan. Do you think you need to change the policy?
- Contact Anita McCaig of the Planning Department's long-range planning team to discuss the reason for wanting to amend the Community Plan. She will help you evaluate your request to determine if a policy amendment is the best option in pursuing your desired outcome.
- the process and key issues. and begin the process of determining which land use policy to propose,
- whether the amendment will be considered a Major or Minor amendment, and the study area for the proposed amendment.
- In most cases, a pre-application meeting will be needed before the application is filed. At this meeting, planners will discuss the policy for the area in more detail, identify key issues and review criteria, identify potential problems, and answer questions.
- Initiate the Determination Form (pre-submittal paperwork) process. This form must be completed before the Planning Counter can accept your plan amendment application.
- In all cases, internal discussions among Planning Department staff occur before the application is ready for filing. These discussions determine the location and extent of the plan amendment study area, whether the amendment request is considered Major or Minor, and whether a community meeting is required. In most cases, a community meeting will be required to allow community input and gauge the level of community support.
- A completed determination form, signed by the Executive Director, must be provided to the Planning Counter in the Development Services Center along with any plan amendment application.
- Talk with affected neighbors and the District Councilmember to get their thoughts and input.
- Keep in mind, the review time for plan amendments will in most cases be longer than the standard 6-week review of development applications. The minimal time needed is 8 weeks, but many cases take longer than that before a public hearing is held at the Planning Commission.
It is important to provide adequate lead time to complete these preliminary steps in order to avoid delays in the review process. This requires conducting due diligence and contacting planners several weeks prior to the target filing deadline.
After you file a plan amendment application:
- A planner is assigned to review your application and coordinate review with the planner assigned to review any accompanying rezoning application.
- The planner coordinates with you the logistics of the community meeting and required notice. In many cases, this involves coordination with affected neighborhood groups.
- The Planning Department writes a staff recommendation to the Planning Commission.
- A public hearing is held at the Planning Commission, and the Commission is the final decision maker on policy.
- If the Commission approves the amendment, the change becomes effective and the citywide policy map is updated.
Zone Change applicants may find that they need to apply for an amendment to the community plan that includes their site in order for their application to be supportable by the Planning Commission. This document outlines the procedure to be followed in amending a community plan. Community plan amendments involve changes to the long-range direction for relatively large areas that have implications beyond individual sites. The long-range direction contained in the community plans was established through extensive public participation processes. These broader implications mean that the process of amending a community plan is significantly more involved than changing a property’s zoning.
Applications and Fees
Before applying for a Community Plan amendment, applicants should review the Application Procedures Document. Then, contact Anita McCaig.
Pre-application Meeting Request Form
The Community Plan Amendment Application covers the following requests:
Major Plan Amendment: $9,150
Requires one or more community meetings convened by the Planning Department prior to a public hearing.
Minor Plan Amendment: $4,350
May require a community meeting convened by the Planning Department prior to a public hearing. The need for a community meeting will be determined by the Planning Department Executive Director.
Street Tree Plan
Street Tree Plan Procedures and Application: Fees vary, and are detailed in the application file