Parking Project & Reflection Garden
Preserving the Meadow. Strengthening the Community.
A Letter from Our Rector
For more than seventy‑five years, St. George’s Episcopal Church has been woven into the fabric of this community. The Currey family donated the land for the church in 1947, and in September 1949, St. George's opened its doors to serve the growing Belle Meade neighborhood that had incorporated less than a decade earlier. Since then, churches in general—and St. George’s in particular—have helped shape the civic, cultural, and spiritual life of this place we all love.
Today, St. George’s is working to address a long-standing need in a way that honors the history of our community, protects and preserves its beauty, and strengthens the safety and accessibility of our campus for church members and neighbors alike. Our proposal for a heavily landscaped parking area and reflection garden adjacent to Belle Meade City Hall is a modest, carefully designed project. It preserves 83% of the 4.91 acre meadow retained by the church, commits the church to restoration and long-term maintenance and preservation of the historic stone wall, and provides a safe, long-term solution to overflow parking that the city itself has asked us to address.
Below you will find details, facts, background information, and a video to explain why this project is not only appropriate—it is a responsible and preservation-minded path forward for this historic property.
St. George’s has worked collaboratively with the City of Belle Meade for more than 75 years, and we plan to continue to be good neighbors, stewarding our piece of the neighborhood with great care and respect. Our goal is simple: to preserve what makes Belle Meade beautiful while ensuring St. George’s can safely and faithfully serve our congregation and community for generations to come.
Why This Project Matters
The Needs of a Growing Community
St. George’s currently has 340 parking spaces for a church that can seat approximately 1,500 people. On most Sundays and at every holiday service, parishioners must park along Belle Meade Boulevard. Since 2024, the Church has had to request a parade permit for overflow parking for Christmas Eve and Easter services. City Commissioners made clear that this was not a sustainable long‑term approach. The proposed parking area—less than one acre with 112 parking spaces—is the safest and most responsible way to meet the needs of our congregation and reduce congestion on Belle Meade Boulevard.
[Pictured: Aerial View Looking West]
A Commitment to Preservation
The Lynwood property originally totaled 9.08 acres before subdivision. The Church will retain 4.91 acres, including the meadow. Within that retained parcel, the parking area occupies less than one acre, while more than four acres—83 percent—will remain undeveloped and preserved permanently. The historic home sits on a separate lot and will remain a private residence, and the historic stone wall retained by St. George's will be fully restored and maintained in perpetuity.
[Pictured: View of Intersection at Lynnwood Terrace & Harding Pike]
Designed with Care
The project includes extensive landscaping—more than 110 evergreen trees, 50 canopy trees, 60 ornamental understory trees, and 140 shrubs. This is not a parking lot dropped into a meadow; it is a professionally designed, heavily landscaped buffer that vastly improves the view from Lynnwood Terrace and screens the back of City Hall.
The landscaped area includes a reflection garden: a quiet place for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection—fully consistent with the Church’s mission.
The lot will be used primarily on Sunday mornings, as well as for large services including Christmas Eve, Easter, and funerals. Evening use of the new parking lot is estimated at 10–15 occasions per year. Lighting will be dark‑sky compliant, limited to 12‑foot poles, and on only when the lot is in use—far less intrusive than the 25‑foot LED poles at City Hall.
A professional hydrology study, reviewed and confirmed by the City’s stormwater engineer, shows no increase in flooding on the property or Harding Pike. The lot will be gated and closed during any dangerous conditions, including flooding.
[Pictured: Entry View]
A Responsible Neighbor for the Community
St. George’s has worked collaboratively with City staff for years, completed major projects with full BZA approval, and consistently responded to community concerns with transparency and good faith.
The Church has met with neighbors, listened to concerns, and incorporated feedback wherever possible. The wall, trees, and landscaping—largely unmaintained for nearly a decade—have already received more restoration in recent months than in many previous years.
We remain committed to being a respectful, thoughtful, and engaged neighbor.
We invite you to explore the Frequently Asked Questions, review the plans, and please reach out with any questions or concerns at info@stgeorgesnashville.org.
[Animation of Parking Area with Landscaping]
Frequently Asked Questions
A fact‑based response to common questions, concerns, and misconceptions
St. George’s Episcopal Church has been part of this community nearly since the community itself began to take shape. For more than seventy‑five years, churches in Belle Meade—and St. George’s in particular—have played a meaningful role in the civic, cultural, and spiritual life of the city. St. George's presence is not new; it is longstanding, deeply rooted, and supported by a congregation that includes many Belle Meade residents. As a result, our church has long served as a gathering place woven into the rhythm of the community. This FAQ provides clear, factual responses to common questions and helps, we hope, correct several misconceptions surrounding the parking project and Reflection Garden.
These questions address only the lower lot at 105 Lynnwood Boulevard, the 4.91‑acre parcel the Church will retain. The two upper lots are separate, privately marketable parcels and are not part of this application.
Why is St. George’s proposing a parking area and reflection garden at 105 Lynnwood?
Because the Church needs it, and the City asked for a long‑term parking solution.
St. George’s has 340 parking spaces for a church that can seat approximately 1,500 people. On major Sundays and holidays, parishioners must park along Belle Meade Boulevard. Since 2024, the Church has had to request a parade permit for overflow parking for Christmas Eve and Easter services.
City Commissioners made clear that parade permits for parking are not a sustainable approach. It is also unsustainable for the Church to shuttle people weekly, as inconvenience impedes any church's growth.
The proposed parking area is the responsible, permanent fix, adding 112 parking spaces utilizing less than one acre of land.
The reflection garden is a quiet place for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection—fully consistent with the Church’s mission.
Will the parking lot create noise, light pollution, or traffic congestion?
No. The lot is designed for limited, event‑based use.
- Primary use: Sunday mornings, Christmas Eve, Easter, and large funerals
- Estimated evening use: 10–15 nights per year
- Lighting: dark‑sky compliant, 12‑foot poles, lit only when the lot is in use
- Access: gated and closed most of the year
Concerns about “traffic congestion” do not reflect how infrequently the lot will be used.
Will this lower property values?
There is no evidence that it will. Studies show that church facilities generally have a neutral or positive effect on residential property values. After St. George’s completed its $25 million campus expansion in 2022—including additional parking—Belle Meade property values continued to rise.
More importantly, by preserving 83 percent of the meadow retained by the Church, the Church is preventing other potential buyers from building something else or failing to maintain the meadow in the future.
Does this violate Belle Meade’s residential zoning?
No. The subdivision met all zoning criteria and Subdivision Regulations. Churches and their accessory uses—including parking areas, walkways, entrances, exits, and driveways—are explicitly allowed under the conditional‑use permit process.
Does this diminish Belle Meade’s historic character?
No. The historic home is untouched, sits on a separate lot, and is expected to be restored by a future private owner. The historic trees are not impacted. We will restore the portion of the historic stone wall retained by St. George's (1,100 linear feet) and maintain it for perpetuity, and 83 percent of the meadow will remain intact.
Is the entire meadow being paved over?
No. The parking area covers less than one acre of the 4.91‑acre parcel the Church will retain. More than four acres—83 percent—of the meadow will remain intact and preserved permanently. The lot sits parallel to City Hall, not in the center of the meadow.
The project includes hundreds of thousands of dollars in mature landscaping, including more than 110 evergreen trees, 50 canopy trees, 60 ornamental understory trees, and 140 shrubs. This buffer will also improve the view from Lynnwood Terrace by screening the back of City Hall and its dumpsters.
Are the historic trees at risk?
No. The two Nashville Tree Foundation–recognized trees are not located on the portion of the property where the parking is proposed.
What about flooding? Isn’t the corner of Lynnwood & Harding flood prone?
The intersection of Harding Pike and Lynnwood Terrace has experienced high water on a limited number of occasions during extremely rare and very large storm events.This is the same area where TDOT and the City are going to construct a public sidewalk in the coming months.
The Church’s plan was developed with this issue in mind. A professional hydrology study was completed and reviewed by the City’s stormwater engineer. Based on that review, the project incorporates stormwater controls that do not worsen flooding conditions. There is no adverse impact to flooding on the property or on Harding Pike.
Importantly, unlike a public sidewalk, the parking area will be gated and closed during any dangerous conditions, including flooding, ensuring that the site is not used when conditions are unsafe.
Is the parking lot dangerous?
No—and the current situation is dangerous.
Parishioners, including children, currently walk from the old Truxton Trust building across Lynnwood Terrace to attend services. The proposed lot has right‑in/right‑out access, keeps cars from parking on neighborhood streets, reduces pedestrian crossings, and improves overall safety. There is no factual basis for calling the project “dangerous.”
Will the lot encourage people to drive through floodwater?
No. The lot will be gated and closed during any dangerous conditions, including flooding at Harding and Lynnwood Terrace.
How will access be controlled to prevent nuisance use?
The lot will be gated and opened only for Church events and occasional City use, if requested.
Will neighbors on Westhampton be able to see the lot?
No. The lot sits below the elevation of Westhampton and will be screened by extensive landscaping. It will also be screened from Lynnwood Terrace.
Will construction damage the historic stone wall?
No. The Church will use the existing entrance as the access point. It will be widened for right‑in/right‑out traffic, but the visual appearance remains the same.
The wall has not been well maintained for nearly a decade and is threatened by invasive hackberry growth. The Church has already begun restoration and will preserve the wall in perpetuity.
Isn't this just the first step in turning all of the meadow into a parking lot?
No. The St. George's proposal does exactly the opposite. It permanently preserves the remaining portions of the lower lot (just over 4 acres), along with the historic stone wall—in perpetuity. That land will be maintained as an open meadow, and the stone wall will be restored and preserved as a permanent entrace to the City of Belle Meade.
By contrast, developing this lower lot as a residential lot would likely eliminate a large portion of the meadow and fundamentally alter the historic landscape as well as the view. If the goal is to preserve the visual character of the meadow and the stone wall, our proposal is the option that accomplishes that objective.
How does the Church respond to those who say, “We just don’t want this”?
Compared to the alternative of the site being developed with mulitiple homes, a reasonable review of the facts shows that the project is modest, necessary, and carefully designed. The Church has acted responsibly and transparently; the meadow is preserved; the historic home and wall are protected; and the City has every legal and factual basis to approve the project. St. George’s remains committed to listening, engaging respectfully, and being a good neighbor.