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October Newsletter - AGH
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OCTOBER 2016 NEWSLETTER
LETTER FROM ED COLE, ALLIANCE FOR GREEN HILLS PRESIDENT

As the Alliance for Green Hills continues to grow, one key goal that has been present from the outset is to find focus on those elements of our Green Hills community that unite us.  As you read through this October Newsletter from the Alliance, I hope that you will see, as I certainly see, that we are making strides in accomplishing this goal.  Our first-ever “festival,” the Green Hills Park Festival, was an amazing success!  Even a weather delay did not dampen this event that brought neighbors, families, friends and even the curious together for a fun afternoon.  In partnership with the Friends of Green Hills Park, the festival clearly demonstrated that we have a wonderful outdoor resource right in the heart of our Green Hills community!

You will also note in the October Newsletter that we have over 900 responses to our traffic and transportation survey.  If you have not taken the survey, please do so using the link provided in the Newsletter.  This significant response will provide a solid foundation for the discussions that will surround our transportation summit in January. As a community of residents, visitors, commuters, students, and even sightseers, traffic and transportation issues are a common area for us all to come together and find solutions.

Although it may seem to be early to think about it, another way we can share our sense of community throughout Green Hills is the enjoyment of the soon-to-be-here holiday season.  Check out the holiday calendar and look forward to a time of greetings and joy as you experience the Green Hills community spirit in yet another way!

Yes, we are truly a community!

Clockwise from top left, L-R: Avery Eldridge & Forret Eldridge; Annalise Rudolph & Willow Scott-Barnes; Sophie Seabook, Clara June Churchill, Camille Brinson, Claire Seabrook; Ben Hall, Neil Amrhein, Melissa Amrhein, Whitney Roberts, 
Fun for All at the First Annual Green Hills Park Festival
The first annual Green Hills Park Festival was great fun and it celebrated one of our neighborhood treasures: Green Hills Park at 1200 Lone Oak Road. Thank you to vendors and sponsors for sticking with us as we weathered a rain-out of the original date. We heard from so many festival-goers about how important these types of "fun" events are for building a sense of community, getting to know neighbors and celebrating what makes Green Hills a great place to live. Want to get involved with future festivals and events? Contact us!

For those who could not attend the festival and visit the onsite "park improvements" display, please take a look at the impressive map and learn more about how to get involved with the Friends of Green Hills Park! Just follow the link through the button below. 
Click Here to Support the Friends of Green Hills Park
The Friends of Green Hills Park was co-founded by Lora Fox and Patrick Bradley. Along with the Alliance for Green Hills, the Friends of Green Hills Park co-hosted this festival -- we hope it is the first of many community celebrations!
Thank you to Council Member Russ Pulley for facilitating improvements to the Belmont Park Terrace side of the Green Hills Park. Thank you, also to Scout Master Cheryl Williams who, with her scouts, removed a stump, painted warning stripes on a log, closed a less-desirable entrance and cleared hedges. The scouts enhanced the aesthetics and safety for those entering the park from Belmont Park Terrace, while still retaining the natural barrier from the existing hedge. 

News from Our September Community Meeting

Tom Jurkovich Outlines Expansion Plans for BNA
Tom Jurkovich explained that the Nashville Airport Authority is a business that operates as a quasi-governmental authority. However, no tax dollars go into its operations. Airline operations, concessions and parking are the three pillars of revenue for the airport.  

Tom highlighted the importance of a strong airport for supporting a city's growth. He stated that nonstop flights are the "gold standard" for attracting business persons to our airport and he notes that the Nashville Airport continues to offer and target nonstop flights. The airport continues to garner positive attention for its music, customer service, air service and amenities, but Tom points out that changes are necessary to keep up with the rate of growth. The airport also offers local craft beer and farm-to-table food, and it actively seeks way to improve customer experience. 

In anticipation of Nashville's growth, the Nashville International Airport has a plan for responding to the strain on infrastructure. With a newly negotiated agreement with the airlines, the airport no longer needs approval from the airlines to make capital improvements, which paves the way for more efficiency in making airport improvements. Tom also notes that sustainability is a focus for the airport, explaining its geothermal cooling system that is the largest of its kind in North America.

Click below for a look at the meeting presentation, including the master plan for the airport. Tom described the plan as a multi-phase, 5-7 year, comprehensive renovation project affecting every aspect of the airport in response to population and passenger increases. Traffic and transportation are key components of the overall strategy, which are addressed in community plans, including nMotion.

See https://www.flynashville.com/about/Pages/master-plan-2012-update.aspx for a link to resources on the master plan. 
Link to the Presentation on the Nashville Airport

Mark Your Calendars for Fall Events 

OCT. 12, 13, 15: Meetings with Metro Parks to Discuss Survey Results of Plan-to-Play
OCT. 19: Early Voting Begins
OCT. 20-22: Nashville Civic Design Center - Public Life Event
OCT. 29: Taking Root - A Community Tree Workshop
NOV. 30: Alliance for Green Hills Community Meeting
NOV. 27: Deadline for Mayor's Holiday Light Contest

DEC. 17: Holidays in Green Hills

Stay up-to-date on events. Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/all4greenhills
Learn More About Trees - Hands-On Exhibits, Expert Instruction
The Nashville Tree Foundation and Metro Beautification present Taking Root - A Community Tree Workshop from 1pm to 3pm on Saturday, October 29th at the Cohn Adult Learning Center - 4805 Park Avenue. Click the image, right, for a link to the website. For a link their Facebook event page, click here.  Topics include: Trees 101; Construction and the Canopy; Trees, Neighbors, and the Law; Pests and Diseases with emphasis on the Emerald Ash Borer.
Find Time to Vote Early: Election Day is Almost Here!
Early voting begins on October 19, 2016. For more information about the schedule for early voting, please click on the link here. Election Day is November 8, 2016. 

Transportation, Traffic and Transit

The nMotion Plan is Ready to View
Click here for a link to the plan!
Alliance for Green Hills Transportation Survey Reaches 900 Responses
We are happy to announce just over 900 survey responses to-date for this Green Hills Transportation Survey! This is exciting news as we approach the next step: an expert review of the data. We are leaving the survey open to make sure we give everyone an opportunity to participate, but the expert review is just around the corner.
Take the Transportation Survey
Passing Along Your Traffic-Related Comments
We received this photo from someone who witnessed this traffic problems just after taking the Green Hills Transportation Survey. This picture shows congestion at the Glen Echo / Hillsboro intersection. 
We also received a link to a YouTube video from one of our readers. This five-minute video is a thought-provoking animation on how driving styles impact traffic issues, and how self-driving cars are a potential solution. Click here to view the video. 
Planning Underway for the Holidays in Green Hills
The Holidays in Green Hills is an all-day event on December 17th designed combine a little holiday cheer (food truck, caroling, trolley) with a temporary traffic-relieving project on a busy shopping day. Instead of taking the car into the heart of Green Hills, riders will park at Woodmont Christian Church and stop at the major shopping centers. The circuit for the trolley will be small and easy-to-use -- and much more relaxing than hunting for a parking spot!
Tom Doherty, a Lipscomb Master's student studying ridership and sustainability, helped us design and analyze a survey on this concept. The data from this event will be used to spark a conversation about shuttle-type circulators in Green Hills. 

(Thank you to the Nashville Civic Design Center for their visualization of a trolley (left) -- and a complete street -- along Hillsboro!)
Get involved in the Mayor's Holiday Light Contest. The deadline is November 27th. Click here for more information on how to enter!
Attention Green Hills Merchants
December 17th will be a very busy holiday shopping day and we would like to sweeten the deal for trolley-riders by offering a discount for taking the trolley instead of the car. Interested in participating? Click below!
Holidays in Green Hills - Sign Up Sheet for Retailers

METRO NEWS

MESSAGE FROM RUSS PULLEY, DISTRICT 25 COUNCIL MEMBER
Council Member Pulley hosted a community meeting on September 29th to discuss a variety of issues. One of the topics was the property tax assessment process. Council Member Pulley plans to have a more in-depth tax assessment presentation at a community meeting in early 2017.  To stay updated on this meeting schedule and other news from District 25, be sure to click on the newsletter sign-up button, below.  

On the issue of short-term-rental property legislation, Council Member Pulley indicated ongoing concerns about how these STRP's affect neighborhoods; Metro Council will continue to consider the implications of these properties, with new legislation on the horizon. In addition, Council Member Pulley discussed the possibility of acquiring property at Sharondale and Hillsboro (Trinity Church) for use as a community park. This is still "on the table" and will be revisited in approximately six months. Finally, Council Member Pulley reports that discussions about the realignment of Glen Echo and Crestmoor are moving forward. 
Sign Up for Newsletters by Council District
Meet with Metro Parks to Discuss Results of Plan-to-Play Surveys
Wednesday, Oct. 12
  • 6 p.m.: Warner Park Nature Center, 7311 U.S. Highway 100
Thursday, Oct. 13
  • 6 p.m.: Hadley Park Community Center, 1037 28th Ave. N.
  • 6 p.m.: Coleman Park Community Center, 384 Thompson Lane
 Saturday, Oct. 15
  • 9 a.m.: South Inglewood Community Center, 1624 Rebecca St.
Volunteer to Help the Nashville Civic Design Center
The Nashville Civic Design Center needs 72 volunteers over 2 days (Oct. 20 & 22) to help conduct a Public Space, Public Life study in downtown Nashville. Once you sign up, you will attend a training session (time TBA) with the NCDC where you will learn techniques in how to survey public life. Volunteers are needed for 4-hour shifts on October 20and/or 22nd based on your availability. Register here

ALLIANCE FOR GREEN HILLS MEETINGS
OCTOBER 26TH & NOVEMBER 30TH

Join Us for the Last Two Community Meetings of the Year

Lipscomb University will headline our agenda for October. Our community already benefits from having Lipscomb as our neighbor to the east of Hillsboro. Learn more about the campus and opportunities for community engagement. 

Nota bene: Our November/December meeting is scheduled for November 30th, the fifth Wednesday of the month. We will not hold a meeting at the end of December. 

OUR VISION

UNIFY the neighborhood
CREATE beautiful, functional spaces
BUILD a better Green Hills for all


 
OUR FOCUS FOR 2016
 
EDUCATE our community
GATHER our resources
IMPROVE our transportation


Invest in the Alliance for Green Hills. Invest in a better Green Hills for all.
 

ALLIANCE FOR GREEN HILLS FOUNDATION


The Alliance for Green Hills Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) status in early March. This is an exciting step for our organization! Through this Foundation, we can do even more to realize our vision to BUILD A BETTER GREEN HILLS FOR ALL.  Please visit our website for more information about the Foundation and to learn about opportunities to invest in projects to improve our neighborhood. 
CONTACT US
JOIN THE MAILING LIST
GET INVOLVED
Copyright © 2016 Alliance for Green Hills, All rights reserved.


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