241-home development approved over complaints

Broadhurst: ‘Right move for long-term future of Albertville’

By DONNA THORNTON, Editor

The Albertville City Council unanimously approved a planned unit development that could bring 241 homes to an area between South Broad Street and Walnut Street, after hearing comments from a half-dozen neighboring residents who opposed a project of that size in their neighborhood.

Some area property owners expressed concerns about traffic, safety, noise, and their property values, and worries that over time the developers might not stick – or be held – to the quality and size of homes they plan to build. The number of houses projected for the property was a major point of contention.

“I’m adamantly against this huge number of residences that’s going to be packed in this little hole,” Steve Atchison, who lives across the street from the development site said. He said it should be limited to 60 or 70 houses, consistent with the ones in the area now. “I currently own almost 7,000 square feet on a 2-acre lot,” he said. It’s consistent with the properties in the area. He said the property would be perfect for a minimum 3,000-square-foot homes.

Currently, the former farmland is zoned R-1 (Low-Density Residential District). Real Estate Developer Tim Perkins of TerraForge LLC said with that zoning, a developer could come in and build as many 167 houses with only the existing subdivision regulations to govern the materials used or the size of structures.

“We wanted to make sure that it was a good product,” he said. “We wanted to voluntarily make sure there were sidewalks. That there was an amenity, which is the pond where you can fish. That there was enough green space where you could play cornhole or grill out.

“We want it to be a good, nice development,” Perkins said, and to do that, they had to increase the density. The current zoning wouldn’t allow enough lots to be sold and houses to be constructed to have the nicer features he wanted to bring to the development. With a smaller number of houses, the lot prices would be much higher, he said, and housing would be less affordable.

“We wanted to start the process of rezoning to a PUD,” he said, which gave the flexibility they need for lot sizes. Smaller lots don’t mean smaller houses, he said.

“These will all be single-family detached homes. There will be no apartments, no townhomes.” The sizes will be up to 3,000 square feet, Perkins said, and the price range will be up to $400,000. He said while there is not city sewer to the site, there will be a lift station to handle waste, and the development is planned to create no more wastewater than the property has now.

Had the developer not decided to seek PUD zoning, Perkins said they could have built 167 houses without ever having a hearing before the council, proceeding on the Planning Commission’s OK. Under R-1 zoning, he said, a national builder could come in here, stack together 167 houses with vinyl siding, priced in the low $220,000s, with no sidewalks and no amenities.

It’s not a choice of raw farmland or 241 houses, Perkins said, because the property is for sale.

The opposition

DeWitt McMullin questioned the effect on Walnut Street neighbors, noting heavy traffic and a dangerous curve. “We’re opposed to this,” he said. His home is on a 1-acre lot, average for most of the homes in the area.

LeaAnn Graves said her estate of her parents, Johnny Mac and Betty Rollins, is 31 acres abutting the development property. She said they would have been opposed to this change by the property they’d owned since 1971. “I don’t want 241 houses out there,” she said. “The number of homes is excessive.”

Dr. Mark Davis said his property abuts the proposed development, too. He objected to the development and said he had not received notices about the Planning Commission meeting or the City Council’s consideration of the rezoning.

He said that number of homes will add some 500 vehicles, creating more congestion. Davis worried, too, about noise. “We enjoy our relative privacy,” he said, and this project would bring years of construction noise. He predicted a negative impact on property values. 

Davis said he’d heard the argument that Albertville needs houses, but said there are several other developments proposed. “It sounds to me that there will soon be an over-supply of houses,” he said. ‘Personally, I’m not aware of a mass of people wanting to move to Albertville and I strongly doubt that Target is going to create a population tsunami.”

 “I feel like this is going to significantly affect our property values and our quality of life,” Davis said. Many of the people in the area have lived most of their lives in Albertville, he said, and they work, do business, raise children and shop there. “We’ve worked hard to have what we have and don’t appreciate having what we have worked for devalued and our quality of life diminished,” he said.

Shane Nash voiced opposition, too, and said he’d talked to few people who’d received notices of planning commission or council meetings. Some people at the meeting had received notices, and city leaders said notices were taken to the post office.

Darlene Cook said this is just not a good idea. “I can’t find anything positive to say about it,” she said. “I just don’t think this large a build is good for that property.”

The development

“Our goal is the nicest subdivision Albertville’s had,” Perkins said. “We’re doing hard siding, we’re doing brick. We’re doing the sidewalks and the amenity.” He said there’s nothing in the PUD that requires those features. “That’s something we wanted to do for Albertville.”

“As a council, we must respect the property rights of the current landowners,” Council President Nathan Broadhurst said. “However, our role und the law is to ensure that this development is executed responsibly so that it does not infringe upon the property rights, safety, or quality of life of the surrounding neighbors.”

He said the PUD framework would allow the county to “achieve that exact balance.

“By approving this, we’re locking in specific architectural standards and restricting this property to single-family detached homes.” He said the developer could not decide next year to build cheaper structures or switch to apartments. “They are legally bound by this plan and any material changes require the developer to go back through this entire process.

But most of the people who attended the public hearing — perhaps 20 people in addition to those who spoke — were not there to hear Broadhurst’s remarks. They started leaving when the motion was made to approve the project and by the time the council members shared remarks, most were gone.

More than one of those who spoke said they felt there was no need to — that the decision as “a done deal” before the public hearing was conducted. Other neighbors, they said, didn’t attend because they didn’t feel it would do any good.

The Albertville Planning Commission had considered and unanimously recommended approval of the project.

Perkins said it likely will be February before earth is moved on the project, and it will be a five-to-seven-year project.

He explained the developers had come across the property years ago, thought it was beautiful, but didn’t think such a development was needed in Albertville at that time. Since then, he said, they completed the Crawford Ridge development off Main Street which sold out in six months. Since then, Albertville landed the Target project, he said TerraForge decided the city’s growth warranted the large-scale development.

The numbers

Mike Price, Albertville’s Economic Development director, talked about the growth in the area, based on the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. Albertville, he said, is the fastest-growth micropolitan statistical area in the state.

The five fastest-growing micropolitan areas are Albertville, Cullman, Enterprise, Scottsboro and Fort Payne. Industry, residential growth and population growth are factors that make Albertville the fastest growing, he said. Albertville is ranked 10th in micropolitan areas in the Southeast — the only Alabama area to make the top 10.

Just looking at the City of Albertville’s annual population growth rate over the last five years of 1.17% — 264 new residents annually. The predictions for the next five year match those rates, Price said.

The “micropolitan area,” defined as Marshall County, had a population of 97,612 in the 2020 census. It was estimated at 103,537 five years later.

Steve Self said he and his wife have lived on South Broad for the last four years. He said they intentionally selected Albertville when they moved from Colorado Springs because of its forward-focus and growth respecting management.

He said they support the exploration of the development, that it represents a “next step” in Albertville’s housing growth.

However, he said, strategic growth should be cautiously entered and strategically managed. Approving the plan is just the first step, he said. Self questioned the developer’s experience with properties of this kind; who the builders will be; will the lots be sold to individuals or in blocks to corporate investors; how will the city’s staff handle this kind of development.

“We must inspect what we expect for the duration of this project” he said. “What is the impact to our existing residents and neighbors to this property?” Self said they support the city’s growth aspirations, adding that at this time, these are just aspirations, and believes city leaders should hear and consider the concerns of neighboring property owners.

Marshall County Economic Development Council Executive Director Kevin Hawk said he wasn’t speaking for or against the development. He said the city has done a good job in growing the city. “People have got to have some place to live,” he said. There’s a strong desire from the Huntsville and Madison County markets for businesses to come to this area. “For that to happen, you’ve got to have somewhere for those people to live. You’ve already got a shortage.”

He said this kind of development has been used in Hartselle, Priceville and Cullman areas. “The response from the market has been strong,” Hawk said.

The council

Council member Ray Kennamer said he believes this kind of development protects the quality of houses versus the way the zoning was before.

Council member Jill Oakley agreed. She said the city continues to work with the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Marshall County Commission about traffic safety. She said the city needs to protect neighborhoods and provide for growth of the city. A lot of the young families coming to the Albertville area are not of the generation that wants 2 or 3 acres of property, Oakley said.

Mayor Tracy Honea noted that the median age for Albertville citizens is about 38 or 39 now. “We’re already beginning to see some of our kids coming back. If we’re going to continue that cycle, we’ve got to be proactive and make the kind of decisions that make those people want to come back.” He thanked everyone for their input; decisions like this are not easy to make.

The council president said city leaders share some of the concerns people expressed at the public hearing.

“We are actively planning city-led infrastructure upgrades to get ahead of congestion, optimize traffic flow, and ensure our roads easily support our city’s growth,” Broadhurst said. He said city leaders have worked hard to establish industrial expansion, retail growth and to improve professional, healthcare and educational services.

“But if we do not provide the high-quality, modern housing inventory that managers, engineers, educators, healthcare professionals, and young families expect, they will work here but take their families — and their tax dollars — to neighboring cities,” he said.

“Walnut Crossing provides the exact type of high-end housing inventory Albertville needs to sustain our growth and elevate our community for the next generation,” Broadhurst continued. “It respects individual property rights while providing the city with maximum oversight to ensure a top-tier final product.

“For those reasons, I believe this is the right move for the long-term future of Albertville.”

Mayor Tracy Honea and Albertville City Council members listen as Dr. Mark Davis explains his opposition to a proposed planned unit development that could bring up to 241 new homes to the area of South Broad and Walnut streets – near where he lives. A developer with TerraForge LLC said he wants ‘a good, nice’ neighborhood to be built. Photo by DONNA THORNTON l The Leader