Gra Mar Acres Neighborhood Association

Porchfest

Porchfest 2026 is set for April 25th! Time is tbd, but we already have a couple of artists and houses lined up. If you aren’t familiar with Porchfest, it’s one of the best events of the year in Gra Mar Acres and we recently moved it from the fall to the Spring. Musical artists set up to perform 15-30 minute sets in various yards around the neighborhood for the afternoon – with plenty of time time hang, chat, and walk in between.

We need at least a few more artists to perform and some more host yards. If you’re interested in either OR in helping supply snacks or drinks you can sign up here. There’s even an interest this year in having a storytelling set! So if this is something you’re interested in, sign up and we will make it happen. Porchfest is very low key and a LOT of fun so recruit your musical friends, make your kids form a band, or dig out your long lost instruments and sign up!

Disaster Preparedness

During the meeting, several folks voiced a desire to improve our disaster preparedness game. So, we’re putting out the call – if this is something you are interested in, if you have experience with disaster relief, or if you have local connections then we would love to connect and plan some workshops, talks, or better organize. Please email [email protected] if you’re interested!

Saunders/Broadmoor Intersection Update

We had a great meeting with NDOT organized by Emily Benedict regarding the intersection of Saunders and Broadmoor. We weren’t able to record the meeting, but I do have the deck that was shared here. The short term options that were mentioned are:

• Painted Stop Bars
• Double Faced Stop Signs
• Reflective Signage
• On Street Pavement Markings
• Turn Hardening

These option can take place quickly! The longer term option offered was depaving to tighten the intersection and seems to have been successful elsewhere. Several neighbors voiced the concern that most accidents seem to be caused by drivers going straight at the intersection and worried that turn hardening and depaving might not help. Some other suggestions give by neighbors were flashing solar powered lights on the stop signs, rumble strips, or even further expanding traffic calming efforts like speed humps. These suggestions were noted by NDOT but it’s worth noting that broader traffic calming efforts have a process and require some organization. The NDOT representatives did say that we should report any issues like aggressive drivers on Hub Nashville to help document problems. There’s even a great Streets, Roads, and Sidewalks section!

We will follow up with any next steps or information we receive.

DADU Update

Recently, there was a new bill passed that allows for DADUs (detached accessory dwelling units) across Nashville – including Gra Mar Acres. You can read more in this email from Emily Benedict. Our neighbor, Bethany, voiced an interest in reaching out to Emily with successful DADU ideas she has seen enacted in other cities that help to make housing more affordable and accessible. If you’re interested in chatting with Bethany about this please email [email protected].

Neighborhood Yard Sale

The Spring/Summer Neighborhood Yard Sale will be June 6th! More details to follow.

Thank you to everyone who attended and continues to invest in our neighborhood. Don’t forget, if you have an idea for a neighborhood event, you can always fill out this form, email [email protected], or attend the next neighborhood meeting (follow along on the calendar).