New Blog Address!

Our blog has moved! You can find Mark's CityLiving Blog now at http://nashvillecitylivingblog.com.

Making Nashville Greener and More Resilient

Creating, Enhancing and Preserving the Places that Matter

The Mayor's Office, The Land Trust for Tennessee and The Conservation Fund invite you to a special event on June 3rd to help shape the future of Nashville's natural and cultural resources. The recent flood is a bold reminder of how important the health and strength of our natural infrastructure is to our well being. Come to one of the following workshops on June 3rd to discuss how we can make Nashville greener and more resilient.

Morning Workshop
Location: Belmont University Curb Event Center, 2002 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212
Time: 8-11:30 am
Registration 7:30-8 am
Welcome by Mayor Karl Dean at 8:10
Guest Speaker: Steve Morse, University of Tennessee

Evening Workshop
Location: Belmont University Curb Event Center, 2002 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212
Time: 4-7:30 pm
Registration 3:30-4
Guest Speaker: Susan Whitaker, TN Department of Tourism

Breakout session topics:
Connecting People to the Green Infrastructure Network
Connecting Wildlife and Water Networks
Urban and Rural Farming and Food Security
Shaping Future Development and Conservation
Preserving Our Historic and Iconic Sites
The Greenest in the Southeast: How we measure against other peer cities

Please RSVP to aladd@landtrusttn.org (or 615-244-5263) with your name, the workshop you will attend and your top breakout session topic. We will email you back confirming your attendance and with directions and additional information.

About the project:
The goal of this public/private partnership is to develop the most progressive open space protection strategy in the Southeast. (As recommended by the Mayor's Green Ribbon Committee.) The team has been collecting and analyzing information for the past six months and now is ready for significant public input. The results of June forums will help set priorities for implementation. For more information visit http://nashvilleopenspace.wordpress.com/.
For questions please call or email: Audra Ladd: aladd@landtrusttn.org 615-244-5263

Tax Credit Extension at Gale Park

Gale Park is a new mini-neighborhood development coming to Gale Lane. Nowhere else in this area can you find a new construction single-family home in the $250's. And for the next three sales, the developers are offering an extension of the recently expired tax credit! The next three buyers at Gale Park will get $8000 to take off the price, put towards upgrades, or use towards closing costs. There are already ten homes sold at Gale Park, so hurry up and take advantage of this opportunity!

Home Sales Increase for 7th Consecutive Month!

According to the latest news release from the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors (GNAR), there were 2,145 home closings in April. This is a 33.7% increase compared to the 1,604 closings in April of last year.

Year-to-date closings are also significantly up! There were 6,337 in 2010, and 5,366 in 2009, for an 18% increase.

Lucy Smith, GNAR President, states that "Stable prices for single family homes and condominiums paired with an increase in pending sales create a hopeful sign as we move into the summer selling season."

"Many people may be wondering about the impact the recent flooding could have on the real estate market. Clearly, the damage and loss is significant in both downtown commercial and area residential property. There may be a brief impact, but there is likely to be continuing sales activity throughout Middle Tennessee. And, the exceptional job of response by both area volunteers and community leaders confirms that Greater Nashville will continue to attract companies and families. The true heart of this city has been revealed to people around the country and what they are seeing is very compelling."

The average number of days on the market for a single-family home in April was 87 days. The median residential price for a single-family home was $164,950 and for a condominium was $143,950. Compare these prices to those last year at the same time which were $164,500 and $149,900, respectively.

To read the complete release, click here.

Greenways Temporarily Closed Due to Flooding

A message from Greenways for Nashville:

Greenways Temporarily Closed Due to Flooding

For safety reasons, Metro Parks closed Greenways on Monday pending a safety assessment after last weekend's flooding. Some greenways sustained significant damage to bridges, boardwalks and barriers. Some sections of trail are impassable, and Metro Parks has deemed it in the best interest and safety of users to close the trails system until further notice.

Please refrain from using the Greenways until they are re-opened and please don't attempt to climb or otherwise circumvent gates or other barriers.

As is customary for the ‘Volunteer State’, several have contacted us wanting to support a clean up effort. There is a cleanup currently being organized by the Richland Creek TrailWatch group. There will be much to clean-up at most of the greenways.

Individuals or groups wishing to organize clean-up efforts please contact the greenways office. After the assessments are complete, Metro Parks and Greenways for Nashville will coordinate with volunteer groups to begin the clean-up process. While the Metro Parks department does a fine job of keeping our trails maintained, they may appreciate the extra help during this unusually laborious period.

The results of the flooding on our greenways system is disappointing. With patience and work we will overcome this historic event.

Health, safety and strength to you and yours,
Greenways for Nashville