Houston-based developer, Cypressbrook Company, is proposing a 412-unit multifamily development in Bellevue named Ariza Bellevue. The development is focused on creating new multimodal infrastructure, providing better access to Metro Parks, and preserving most of the land by leaving 70% of it undeveloped. The property is bounded by the Harpeth River and adjacent to Coley Davis Road, Bellevue Park and the MTA Park & Ride lot. It is also located near exit 196 on Interstate 40.
Ariza Bellevue proposes an expansion of existing, disconnected public space and includes new access points. Additionally, the developer plans to install more than 1,600 linear feet of new multimodal infrastructure.
A request was submitted to amend the Bellevue Community Plan by changing from T2 Rural Maintenance Policy to T3 Suburban Neighborhood Evolving Policy for the 43.87-acre site. The request was made by Ragan-Smith and Associates, on behalf of the Owner. Here’s the quick rundown:
Development Rundown
Ariza Bellevue
- What’s Now: Primarily Vacant Land
- What’s Next: Mutli-family Development
- Developer: Cypressbrook Company
- Address: 1084 Morton Mill Road
- Planner: Ragan Smith & Associates
- Capacity: 412 units, parking, & amenities
In addition to the multifamily component, Ariza Bellevue is centered on enhancing and expanding access to public amenities, some of which include:
- A multi-modal walk & bike path along Coley Davis Road
- A multi-modal walk & bike bridge over the Harpeth River.
- Extend the Greenway to & across the CSX railroad.
- Donate 20 acres of new park space.
The map below also provides a summary of the proposed improvements.
The plan proposes creating a new walking biking trail along Coley Davis Road. This will be accomplished by repurposing the median along one side of the road. This will make way for a 6.5-foot wide trail with flex post for vehicle deterrence. Slide the two images below for context.
Greenway Connectivity
The new trail on Coley Davis Road will also serve as a new collector road to a multimodal bridge over the Harpeth River. The new bridge will provide access to Ariza Bellevue, the Harpeth River Greenway, and Bellevue Park. Additionally, the existing Greenway dead-ends a few feet away from the CSX railroad. The plan proposes a new tunnel under the railway that would close the Greenway gap and ultimately connect Coley Davis Road to Edwin Warner Park. The proposed concepts are shown in the two images below.
The proposed multi-modal connections are all intended to provide greater access to existing public amenities. The developer also noted that the existing Metro Park space is underutilized and that the proposed multimodal amenities will make it more accessible. The plan also includes a donation of 20 acres of green space to Metro Parks to expand Bellevue Park.
A virtual community meeting is planned on July 7, 2022 from 6:00 – 7:30pm. The link to the community meeting can be found (here). The development is also scheduled for the 7/28/22 Metro Planning Agenda.
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2 Comments
It’s really interesting – Councilman Rosenberg, Cypressbrook and Ragan-Smith all represented to the homeowners that the access through Morton Mill would be EMERGENCY Access only (see long discussion during the 2021 virtual community meeting). And now, that promise has gone away. This is among the many misrepresentations that have been made about this catastrophic proposal.
There is widespread community opposition to this, including a petition signed by more than 1000 local residents – bellevuestrong.org
If I understand correctly this development depends on a zoning change for a proposed SP with a single vehicular access point for 417 apartments over a bridge that would connects with a narrow two-lane road that is already congested as the sole access point for thousands of residents and a soccer field and that also on occasion floods. The developer has an aggressive marketing effort (who could object to a free bike path?) but this development is a horrible idea for safety, traffic, or flooding, unless Metro or the developer first invests in substantial new infrastructure improvements to improve the access road.