06/22/03
By JOHN PECK
Times Staff Writer johnpe@htimes.com
Some 4,253 Huntsville residents live in Limestone County.
That number will grow soon as Huntsville continues its buildup in the western reaches of the city.
Three large residential developments are on the agenda of the Huntsville Planning Commission agenda Tuesday. All are in the city's fast-growing west corridor.
The latest proposed projects include an expansion of the Oak Alley subdivision at Rockhouse Landing in Limestone County (51 single family lots); a 292-unit apartment complex off Jeff Road just north of U.S. 72; and a 49-lot extension of the Providence subdivision near Old Monrovia and Indian Creek. The Highland Pointe apartment complex will be just behind the fire station on Jeff Road.
Providence could have as many as 2,200 homes, townhouses and live-work units. Planners have given final approval to 42 homes and the village center. Another 49 are on the agenda Tuesday.
The Oak Alley project is part of a 632-lot residential development in Limestone County not far from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.
Crawford Howard, chairman of the City Planning Commission, said much of the growth seems to be driven by a new K-8 school off Old Monrovia Road and a new high school off Farrow Road just west of Slaughter Road. The City Council created a special tax district to cover the $40 million price tag for the schools and accompanying road improvements. The schools are targeted for opening in fall 2004.
Ed Starnes, chairman of the planning commission's subdivision subcommittee, predicts the western schools will prompt more annexations and development in that part of the city.
Huntsville now has 19.7 square miles in Limestone County. The city's overall land area is 155.7 square miles. That makes Huntsville larger in size than heavily-populated major cities like Beijing, Toronto, and Athens, Greece.
City Planning Director Dallas Fanning said infrastructure investments over the years in fringe areas will make it easier to serve residents and business owners there without racking up a huge bill.
Fanning said market forces must be driving the housing demand in the western parts of the city. Otherwise, developers wouldn't be building there, he said.
City Councilman Glenn Watson, whose district covers those far west areas, said Limestone County appears "wide open'' for further annexations if property owners petition the city to come in.
"If you stop growing, that strains your services and you stagnate,'' Watson said.
Other major developments in west Huntsville in the last couple of years include:
Potter's Mill: 180 single-family lots east off Slaughter Road. Mostly completed.
Shadow Creek off Zeirdt Road: 674 single family lots approved. 116 finished, 65 near completion.
Waldon Run apartments: Just north of U.S. 72 and south of the Dry Creek tributary along the east side of Providence Main Street. Construction will begin soon.
