Metro moves closer to closing Brookmeade homeless encampment with fence agreement
Metro Council on Tuesday voted to move forward with an ordinance allowing a fence to enclose part of Brookmeade Park, moving a step closer to closing the homeless encampment at the West Nashville park and greenway.
The ordinance was on second reading, meaning it will go before Metro Council for a final vote in January. However, it can no longer be amended, despite efforts by District 35 Council Member Dave Rosenberg to change the language of the agreement.
The ordinance, passed with an amendment sponsored by Council Members Thom Druffel and Gloria Hausser, is an easement agreement between Metro and the Lowe's Home Centers store next to the homeless encampment in the park. The agreement would allow Metro to build an 8-foot chain-link fence in the easement area owned by the store.
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Rosenberg submitted a substitution to the ordinance detailing conditions of the encampment closure. The substitution, which failed, included in its conditions that all residents of the encampment identified on Dec. 6 were to receive a clear pathway to permanent supportive housing that may include temporary or shelter housing options if preferred.
The substitution would also have mandated that the encampment closure happen at least two weeks after the last resident is moved into housing. Rosenberg said that was meant to smooth the transition process.
"If the decision has been made to close Brookmeade, fine, but let’s do it the right way," Rosenberg said on the Council floor. “We need to provide services and not just an empty room.”
Rosenberg expressed concern that constituents in the encampment would not be placed in appropriate housing in the time period allotted by the original ordinance.
Hausser and Metro Homeless Impact Division interim director April Calvin stressed that residents were indeed being offered multiple housing options as well as wraparound services throughout the encampment-closure process.
The amendment that was passed with the ordinance, submitted by Hausser and Druffel, stated that the easement agreement would take effect when the Metro Homeless Impact Division confirms that each resident has been offered two housing options — one of them being permanent or semi-permanent housing.
The amendment said the closure process must abide by the Continuum of Care Homelessness Planning Council's outdoor homelessness strategy as well as the coordinated entry process mandated by Metro Nashville.
Residents at the encampment have recently experienced great turmoil, with the death of Drandon Brown, who lived at the park before he was shot and killed by police in November. Hausser also said another man was robbed and beaten at the encampment.
"We have an opportunity, for the first time ever, to really create solutions, not just Band-Aids," Hausser said.
The encampment was identified for prioritization in early November by an assessment team organized by the Continuum of Care Shelter Committee. The fence is meant to enclose the area to be cleaned up after all residents are given housing options. At a previous meeting held by Metro Parks, speakers said there were hundreds of shopping carts left in the park from neighboring businesses, including Lowe's.
The ordinance will go before Council for a third and final reading in January.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Brookmeade Park fence agreement moves forward with Council vote
