Historic home will have new guests

Bed & breakfast planned for West End Park home
The Tennessean • July 11, 2008

The Metro Planning Commission recently approved a proposal that will bring a bed and breakfast to the West End Park neighborhood.
The request to apply a historic bed and breakfast overlay district to property at 3137 Long Blvd., just north of Mason Avenue, allows for three or fewer furnished guest rooms within a private, owner-occupied historically significant structure. Meals may be provided to overnight guests, and the maximum stay is 14 days.
Ben and Lisa Anderson looked for a way to preserve their historic home. In recent years houses in the West End Park neighborhood have been replaced with an influx of condominium developments.
"The neighborhood is upside down with people tearing down houses and building condos," Ben Anderson said. "We were looking for the best use of the house. Developers have approached us about selling, but for us this is the best financial use of the property."
Neighbors won't have to worry about an influx of traffic, because the approval allows no more than one off-street parking space for each guest room. Also, no signs will be permitted for advertising.
Metro Planning determined the historic bed and breakfast overlay request was consistent with the 31st and Long urban design overlay and the West End Park Detailed Neighborhood Design Plan.
The bed and breakfast will have no more than three people there at a time, Anderson said. The house, formerly a YWCA Shelter, is larger than many homes in the neighborhood.
"I've stayed at a bed and breakfast when I was traveling, and I think people would like to have one in their neighborhood," Ben Anderson said. "It can attract people visiting those living in the nearby condos."
The proposal passed on second reading in the Metro Council on July 1.