New lawsuit filed against Nashville targets Cheekwood construction

New lawsuit filed against Nashville targets Cheekwood construction

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is once again at the center of legal drama, with a group of neighbors suing the city this week to stop construction of a new parking structure.

Why it matters: The lawsuit is an escalation in the yearslong fight over traffic around the historic botanical garden, which has become one of Nashville's most popular attractions.

  • Cheekwood officials have framed the fight in existential terms, saying efforts to stop the new parking structure could ultimately force Cheekwood to close.
  • The neighborhood group, on the other hand, wants Metro to rein in Cheekwood's activity, claiming the attraction's growth has been unchecked and at the neighborhood's expense.

    • State of play: Cheekwood began work to overhaul its parking because an agreement to use Metro Parks property for overflow parking is expiring next year. Construction began with Metro approval.

    The latest: The Chancery Court lawsuit against Metro came this week, following a zoning appeal that also sought to stop parking construction.

  • The neighborhood group, which uses the name Neighbors for Safety, argues that Cheekwood's new parking structure would increase visitor traffic and disruptions to the surrounding area.
  • More broadly, the lawsuit argues, "Metro has allowed Cheekwood to operate illegally for decades." The lawsuit claims heavy traffic and large events at Cheekwood exceed its intended zoning rules.
  • "As a result, Cheekwood has for years shifted the burdens of its unlawful operations onto surrounding residents, appropriating neighborhood streets to function as the access, circulation, and overflow infrastructure," the complaint states.

    • Driving the news: The lawsuit asks a judge to stop Cheekwood's parking construction and force Metro to enforce zoning, traffic and noise rules.

  • The neighbors also want the court to declare that Cheekwood's current operations exceed its zoning restrictions.

    • The other side: Cheekwood has pushed back hard, launching a "Save Cheekwood" campaign and arguing the challenges to the new parking structure could limit visitor access or shutter the institution completely.

  • An online petition supporting Cheekwood has more than 25,000 signatures.
  • Cheekwood said in a statement the lawsuit "is further proof that the neighborhood group is intensifying their efforts to shut down Cheekwood."

    • Zoom in: Leaders at Cheekwood also challenge the neighborhood group's claim that the garden is pursuing growth. Cheekwood hit an annual visitor peak of 435,000 during the pandemic, but numbers have decreased since then.

    What they're saying: "We are not trying to grow," Cheekwood CEO Jane MacLeod told Axios last week. "In fact ... our attendance has gone down 15% in the last five years."

  • While leaders acknowledged the "legitimate concern" surrounding heavy traffic in a statement, they said other factors contribute to heavier influx of cars, including the neighboring Percy Warner Park and Golf Course.
  • "It's not Cheekwood," MacLeod said. "It's Nashville's growth."