Business owners, neighbors upset homeless enforcement happens at some parks, not others

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A growing homeless community on Green Street, just south of downtown Nashville, is causing frustration for business owners and neighbors over what they call a lack of response.

“It can’t be allowed to exist directly on the streets in front of businesses. It is not good for anybody,” says Chad Stephens, a business owner on Green Street.

Stephens says he's had to stop having meetings at his office and calls the situation embarrassing.

“He’s just sitting, pants down, right on our entrance to our office, approached him, trying to get him help, but ended up just having to pay him just so he could leave so I could host the meeting,” says Stephens.

Stephens says he has compassion for these folks, but it's frustrating when he hears these communities are acceptable in some locations but not in others, like Brookmeade Park.

“Metro Parks Board has failed Brookmeade Park. There’s no doubt about that and they need to admit it because the fact is they have enforced all of these ordinances that have long been in existence and all the other parks downtown, and somehow our park was neglected, it was ignored,” says Rebecca Lowe who lives near Brookmeade.

Lowe doesn't understand why the folks from Green Street were told to leave Centennial Park by Parks Police, but at Brookmeade, they're all still there.

“We’re not going anywhere until our park looks like Shelby Bottoms, Percy Warner, and all the other parks in Nashville that we’ve contributed to funding,” says Lowe.

FOX 17 News reached out to Metro Parks Police to ask why they're enforcing ordinances at some parks, but not at places like Brookmeade Park.

A spokesperson says while they're concerned and frustrated about Brookmeade, Parks is following the leadership of the city's experts.

Starting this Friday, a law going into effect makes it a felony to camp on public or state property.

It's still unclear how this law will impact those here in Nashville.

For more reports like this on the High Cost of Homelessness, click here.