A Nashville suburb is suing the Tennessee Historical Commission over a decision that blocked the city from renaming five streets because the commission considered them “monuments” under Tennessee law.
The city of Forest Hills, approximately 10 miles southeast of downtown Nashville, filed a petition with the historical commission in April 2022 to receive a waiver to the law for name change purposes.
The waiver would have subverted the 2016 Tennessee Heritage Protection Act, which “prohibits the removal, relocation, or renaming of a memorial that is, or is located on, public property.”
The petition stated there was “a material or substantial need for a waiver based on historical or other compelling public interest, including historical accuracy.”…