Belle Meade
A small city with five zoning districts and a citywide conservation overlay
Davidson County · Area within Metro Nashville
An area of Nashville covered by Metro’s Green Hills-Midtown plan, with an Urban Design Overlay and creek floodplains in the plan area
Green Hills is an area within the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, not an incorporated city. Metro Planning covers it in the Green Hills-Midtown Community Plan, which gives no Green Hills boundary, and Metro Codes administers zoning and permits. Forest Hills and Oak Hill, inside the plan area, set their own zoning.
In short: Green Hills is an area within the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, covered by Metro Planning's Green Hills-Midtown plan and Metro Codes.
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| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. The Green Hills-Midtown plan says its area represents “about seven percent of the land area in Nashville/Davidson County” | Notes 1, 2 |
| Municipal status | The plan uses “Green Hills” as a place name, for example “the Green Hills commercial area,” and does not define it as a separate government. The incorporated cities the plan names in its area are Berry Hill, Forest Hills and Oak Hill, and the Assessor’s list of Davidson County satellite cities (Ridgetop, Goodlettsville, Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills and Oak Hill) includes no Green Hills | Notes 2, 14 |
| Boundary of “Green Hills” | The plan and the Planning page reviewed give no boundary for Green Hills as a neighborhood. Metro plans for the larger Green Hills-Midtown community plan area, described next. Where sources are silent, use Metro’s Parcel Viewer for a specific parcel | Notes 1, 2, 5 |
| Metro community plan | Green Hills-Midtown Community Plan, one of the Planning Department’s fourteen community plans. The plan was first adopted by the Planning Commission in 1994; the current document is marked “Adopted June 22, 2015” and “Amended August 24, 2017” on its cover (its page footers read “Adopted August 24, 2017”). The Planning page says it “was most recently updated in August 2017 as part of a scheduled review of the NashvilleNext long-range plan” | Notes 1, 2 |
| Plan area | The plan says Green Hills-Midtown “contains approximately 40 square miles, representing about seven percent of the land area in Nashville/Davidson County.” It says the community is bounded by the City of Belle Meade and the CSX railroad to the west, I-40/I-65 to the north, I-65 to the east and Williamson County to the south | Note 2 |
| Satellite cities in the plan area | The plan says nearly half of the land in the plan area is within the incorporated cities of Berry Hill, Forest Hills and Oak Hill. The plan says “Most of Berry Hill is located in South Nashville, but Forest Hills and Oak Hill are completely within Green Hills–Midtown.” It says the cities “have their own planning and zoning and are not governed by this community plan,” retained their charters when Metro was established, coordinate with Metro Planning, have service agreements with Metro Government and are represented in Metro Council | Note 2 |
| Named center | The plan names “the Green Hills commercial area” and lists it, with Midtown, among its “Tier One” centers, which it describes as “the focus of coordinated investments to shape growth and support transit service in the next ten years.” Its Green Hills Area Transportation Plan, adopted March 13, 2014 as an amendment to the community plan, gives guidance “in and around” that center | Note 2 |
| Urban Design Overlay | Metro applied a Green Hills Urban Design Overlay (UDO) to about 80.9 acres along Hillsboro Circle, Bandywood Drive, Hillsboro Drive, Hobbs Road, Warfield Drive, Hillsboro Pike, Abbott Martin Road and Richard Jones Road under Ordinance BL2002-1083. The Planning page lists it as “Adopted: August 6, 2002/amended 2003 and 2007”; the ordinance record shows third reading August 6 and approval August 8, 2002 | Notes 1, 3, 4 |
| Zoning and permits | Zoning is Title 17 and building is Title 16 of the Metro Code. Metro Codes Administration is “vested with the authority and duty to administer the Metro Building Code as well as the Metro Zoning Code” | Notes 5, 7 |
| Flood maps | Metro Water Services says FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps determine each property’s flood hazard and that all streams within Metro Nashville are subject to flooding | Note 9 |
| Metro property tax districts, 2025 | Davidson County has two primary tax rate districts, the General Services District (GSD) at $2.782 and the Urban Services District (USD) at $2.814 per $100 of assessed value for 2025. Residential property is assessed at 25% of appraised value. The sources reviewed do not say which district a given Green Hills parcel is in; the Assessor’s notice has a “Tax Jurisdiction” box | Note 14 |
| Reappraisal cycle | The Assessor describes a four-year cycle and calls 2025 the most recent. The reappraisal page does not name the next year | Notes 15, 16 |
Nearby guides: Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Oak Hill and Brentwood. See also the Nashville satellite cities tax comparison.
Metro describes land features for the whole Green Hills-Midtown plan area, not parcel by parcel, so treat these as prompts to check an address (Note 2).
Metro’s pages do not define a Green Hills neighborhood boundary. The Metro ParcelViewer is the tool Metro points to for a specific property (Notes 5, 9).
Metro Codes administers zoning and building permits, and Metro Water Services describes the floodplain and stormwater requirements, for parcels under Metro’s authority, while the Assessor and Trustee handle property tax. Parcels inside a satellite city follow that city’s planning and zoning instead (Note 2).
Metro Codes is at 800 President Ronald Reagan Way, 1st Floor, Nashville, TN 37210, 615-862-6500. Rules change; confirm with the Metro department that issues the permit (Note 7).
| Check | Why it matters here | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metro or satellite city | Forest Hills, Oak Hill and Berry Hill have their own planning and zoning inside the plan area. Confirm which government zones the parcel, and read the “Tax Jurisdiction” box on the Assessor’s notice (GSD, USD or satellite city) | Notes 2, 14 |
| Base zoning and overlays | Look up the parcel in the Metro Planning ParcelViewer, check the zoning codes with status “Current,” and check for any overlay (UDO, NCZO, HPZO). Ask Codes about setbacks and height before planning work | Note 5 |
| Urban Design Overlay | If the parcel is in the 80.9-acre Green Hills UDO, building permits are reviewed by Planning and Codes against the UDO guidelines. The ordinance’s Exhibit 1 is headed “Properties Included In The Hillsboro Village Urban Design Overlay District” while its caption and Exhibit 2 say Green Hills, and the Planning page lists a separate Hillsboro Village overlay, so ask Planning to confirm the parcel list and the current guidelines, since the overlay was amended after 2002 | Notes 1, 3, 4 |
| Historic or conservation overlay | A parcel in a Neighborhood Conservation or Historic Preservation overlay may need a Preservation Permit from the Metro Historic Zoning Commission before work. Ask Metro Historic Zoning (615-880-4900 on the Planning page) whether the parcel is in an overlay. Metro’s Codes page lists 615-862-7970 for the Historic Zoning Administrator and the 2021 handbook lists the same number for the Commission, so confirm which number is current | Notes 5, 19, 20, 21 |
| Flood zone and creek exposure | Search the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, which offers a printable FIRMette. Metro says a property need not be in a Special Flood Hazard Area to flood, and the plan names Richland, Sugartree and Browns Creeks as the main floodplains in the plan area | Notes 2, 9, 10 |
| Floodplain permits and elevation | Metro requires permits for all development in a Special Flood Hazard Area and sets a lowest-floor elevation four feet above the 1-percent-annual chance flood. Ask for permit history on any past fill, grading or building in a mapped floodplain. Metro Water Services’ Development Services Division, 615-862-7225, takes reports of floodplain activity that may not be permitted | Note 8 |
| Slopes and soils | The plan notes steep slopes and unstable soils in parts of its area. Ask for a survey and, for sloped lots, a geotechnical review before relying on a building site. This is parcel specific | Note 2 |
| Stormwater, grading and stream buffers | Ask whether past or planned work triggered grading, infill stormwater or water quality buffer requirements, which are regulated through Metro Water Services | Notes 8, 11, 12 |
| Permit history and status | Ask Metro Codes what permit records exist for the parcel. Registered contractors use ePermits, where review status, open items and reviewer comments can be viewed | Note 6 |
| Water and sewer service | Metro Water Services says it provides public water and wastewater service in Nashville/Davidson County. It does not say every parcel is connected, so confirm service for the parcel | Note 13 |
| Property tax district and bill | The Assessor reappraises and the Trustee bills. Taxes are due the first Monday of October and must be paid by the last day of February of the following year to avoid interest. Ask the Assessor or Trustee which district and rate apply to the parcel | Notes 14, 15, 17 |
| Reappraisal and appeals | The Assessor says the 2025 assessments are effective January 1, 2025 and that owners can appeal value or classification every year, with formal appeals going to the Metropolitan Board of Equalization. The reappraisal page does not name the next reappraisal year | Notes 15, 16 |
This is a checklist, not tax, legal or engineering advice. Confirm each item with Metro, the Assessor and your attorney.
| Place | Government | Who sets the rules |
|---|---|---|
| Green Hills | Metro Nashville and Davidson County | Metro Planning (Green Hills-Midtown plan), Metro Codes (Titles 16 and 17), Metro Water Services (floodplain, stormwater) and the Metro Historic Zoning Commission for historic overlays. Property tax is appraised by the Assessor and billed by the Metro Trustee (Notes 2, 5, 7, 8, 14, 17, 20) |
| Belle Meade | City on the plan area’s western edge | The plan places the City of Belle Meade on the west boundary of its area (Note 2). Metro’s Trustee says Belle Meade, Ridgetop and Goodlettsville are the only Davidson County cities that have separate city taxes and sends questions about those taxes to the cities, and the Assessor lists Belle Meade among satellite cities (Notes 14, 17). Belle Meade’s own city pages were not opened for this guide, so its zoning, permits and tax rate are not described here; see its guide |
| Oak Hill | City completely inside the plan area | The plan says it has its own planning and zoning and is not governed by the plan (Note 2). The city says its planning commission and board of zoning appeals are appointed by the mayor, that it issues building permits and manages code inspections, and that Metro is responsible for fire and police (Note 22). It states it “does not collect any taxes,” and the Assessor lists it among satellite cities that pay the GSD rate plus the city’s rate “if any” (Notes 14, 23) |
| Forest Hills | City completely inside the plan area | Same planning and zoning independence as Oak Hill, per the plan (Note 2). The Assessor lists it among satellite cities, whose taxable property is subject to the GSD rate plus the city’s rate “if any” (Note 14). Forest Hills’s own city pages were not opened for this guide, so its zoning, permits and any city tax are not described here; see its guide |
| Berry Hill | City mostly in South Nashville | The plan says it has its own planning and zoning and that most of Berry Hill is in South Nashville (Note 2). The Assessor lists it among satellite cities (Note 14). No ABODE guide covers it |
| Brentwood | City in Williamson County, to the south | In Williamson County (Note 28), which the plan names as the plan area’s southern boundary (Note 2). Brentwood says it operates under a Commission-City Manager model and its Planning and Codes Department oversees city planning, building permits and code enforcement; all land is in one of fourteen zoning districts (Notes 24, 25, 28). The Williamson County Trustee bills the city’s property tax on a combined notice with the county tax; the city’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget article gives 19 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, while its tax page still shows a tax year 2022 rate (Notes 26, 27) |
In an area with overlay review, creek floodplains and several tax and zoning jurisdictions, the questions come before the offer: which government zones the parcel, which overlay applies and which tax district the bill uses. ABODE International Realty is licensed in Tennessee (firm license 263936; broker license 285214), led by Adrian L. Jackson, Founder, President & CEO, with offices in Knoxville (by appointment) and Murfreesboro. This guide is written for buyers and sellers of higher-value property. Conversations are private.
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Metro Planning covers Green Hills in its Green Hills-Midtown Community Plan, which compares its area with the land area of Nashville/Davidson County. The plan names Berry Hill, Forest Hills and Oak Hill as the incorporated cities in its area, and the Assessor’s list of satellite cities has no Green Hills (Notes 2, 14). The plan gives no boundary for the Green Hills neighborhood, so confirm a parcel in Metro’s ParcelViewer (Notes 2, 5).
For parcels under Metro’s authority, zoning is Title 17 of the Metro Code, administered by Codes Administration, with Zoning Examiners reviewing permit applications (Notes 5, 6, 7). Parcels inside Berry Hill, Forest Hills or Oak Hill follow those cities’ zoning (Note 2).
It is a Metro overlay applied under Ordinance BL2002-1083 to about 80.9 acres along streets including Hillsboro Pike, Abbott Martin Road and Hobbs Road (Note 4). Its guidelines cover building placement, height, parking, signs and landscaping, and Planning and Codes review permit applications in the area (Note 3). It applies in addition to the base zoning (Note 5).
Metro Planning’s list of historic and neighborhood conservation districts has no district with “Green Hills” in its name (Note 19). The Metro Historic Zoning Commission reviews applications for work on properties within a historic overlay, and overlays can still apply to a parcel, so check the parcel in the ParcelViewer and ask Metro Historic Zoning (Notes 5, 20).
It depends on the address. Metro says FEMA flood maps determine each property’s flood hazard, all streams in Metro Nashville are subject to flooding, and a property does not have to be in a Special Flood Hazard Area to flood (Note 9). The community plan names floodplains along Richland, Sugartree and Browns Creeks (Note 2). Search the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center (Note 10).
The Davidson County Assessor reappraises property and Metro’s Trustee bills and collects (Notes 15, 17). For 2025 the General Services District rate was $2.782 and the Urban Services District rate $2.814 per $100 of assessed value, with residential property assessed at 25% (Note 14). The Assessor says the USD tax covers the more extensive services, listing garbage pick-up, street lights and sidewalk provisions. A consultant memo (Raftelis, April 2025) addressed to Metro’s Budget Officer defines the USD as the former City of Nashville plus urban areas since annexed into it and the GSD as all other areas of Davidson County. It says USD properties receive premium Street Lighting and Solid Waste services, that Fire, Police and general government are Metro-wide, and does not mention sidewalks (Notes 14, 18). The Assessor’s notice shows which district applies.
The Assessor describes a four-year reappraisal cycle and calls 2025 the most recent; the 2025 assessments are effective January 1, 2025. The reappraisal page does not name the next year (Notes 15, 16). Owners can appeal value or classification every year (Note 16).
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