Monthly Meeting Notes — April 9, 2026

David Best presented his plan to build a three-bay garage (~1,000 sq ft) with an apartment above (~700 sq ft) at 1107 N 5th St. Under the SP overlay, structures over 700 sq ft require a 20-foot setback from the alley instead of 10 feet. That setback would take too much of the lot, so David is requesting a variance to use the 10-foot setback for the larger structure.

The design will match the style of his historic home. All neighbors he's spoken to have been supportive, and he's offered an open invitation for anyone to walk the lot and see the plans.

Zoning hearing: May 7. If you'd like to voice support, email the Board of Zoning Appeals at bza@nashville.gov. You can also reach David directly at properties@dbestenterprises.com.

Thanks to everyone who came out on April 11! We had a great turnout and got a lot of streets and alleys cleaned up. Our next cleanup is the Fall Cleaning on September 12 — mark your calendars now.

Repaving is underway around the neighborhood — Wilburn Street, McFerrin area, and parts of North 5th have been paved recently. Lischey Ave is still rough from water main work but should be finished soon. This round appears to be actual repaving, not just patching over cuts.

We discussed the proposed Downtown Code zoning changes for the PSC Metals site on the East Bank, now being branded as "East Bend." The proposal was deferred by Metro Council on April 1 with 18 proposed amendments still under discussion.

The cement facility noise continues to affect the neighborhood. Recent coverage from Nashville Scene and News Channel 5 has brought more attention to the issue. If you're hearing it, log a report at nashvillenoise.net — every report strengthens the case for action.

Alex Abels shared a proposal for a coalition called Friends of East Nashville Parks, covering East Park, Frederick Douglass Park, McFerrin Park, and Cleveland Park. The idea is to advocate and fundraise for all four parks together, potentially through a fiscal sponsorship with Nashville Parks Foundation. Interested neighbors can reach Alex at alexander.abels@outlook.com.

The CPNA website (clevelandparktn.com) and email newsletter launched this year. The goal is to have a direct channel for actionable updates rather than relying solely on the Facebook group. David Best also offered his clevelandparktn.org domain for anything web-related.