Brentwood landowner receives approval to build additional houses
Commissioners to allow residents to decide green space referendum
By Chris Amos
Diversity Institute Fellow
07.27.04
The Brentwood Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a rezoning ordinance Monday night allowing a local landowner to build extra houses on land south of Ravenwood High School.
Dr. Mark Roberts, who owns the land, asked the board to rezone eight acres that adjoin his nearly 200-year-old house so that he could build a seven-house development there.
Paul Ross, a local realtor and former chairman of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, estimated that each house would sell for about $700,000.
The original zoning plan required that new houses be built on at least three acres of land, but the new zoning plan requires only one acre per house. The change will allow Roberts to build five more houses than originally possible on the same amount of land.
The commission approved the request after Roberts agreed to an arrangement that would deny him or a future owner of his historic house the right to make any changes to it without the city's approval.
Mayor Anne Dunn said that the negotiations leading to the restriction were historic because the city had never before persuaded a homeowner to agree to limit property rights in order to protect historic structures.
The negotiations were briefly in doubt because Roberts and the commissioners could not agree on the boundaries for the rezoned property. Commissioners took a five-minute recess while Roberts and his lawyer negotiated with city lawyers. Afterward, commissioners agreed to rezone the entire parcel.
"The house's historic character and integrity will be protected," said City Attorney Roger Horner after the final agreement had been made.
Ross saw an additional benefit to the arrangement.
"It is important for the city to have green space," he said. "Those houses are priced so that they will be nicely landscaped and have plenty of open space."
Roberts, an emergency room physician who recently returned to Tennessee after practicing for 16 years in Ruston, La., said he was uncertain when he would begin work on the new development.
Later in the meeting, a lengthy debate ensued after commissioners introduced a proposal to issue bonds to buy land that would be designated as green space and thus protected from future development.
In the end, commissioners voted to hold a citywide election within 45 to 60 days for residents to decide on the matter.