Planning Commission Minutes January 23, 2018
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION
January 23, 2018
A regular meeting of the City of Huntsville Planning Commission was held on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. in the council chambers on the first floor of the Administration Building located at 308 Fountain Circle. There was a quorum present.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Les Tillery, Kelly Schrimsher, Carlos Mathews, Jeff Rice, Peggy Richard, Kyle Collins, Donna Hendricks, Sally Warden, Jennie Robinson
SUPERNUMERARY MEMBERS PRESENT: John McMullan
MEMBERS ABSENT: Gary Whitley, TJ Meers, LaFreeda Jordan
STAFF & ADVISORS PRESENT: Jim McGuffey, Michael Webb, Thomas Nunez, Ashley Nichols, Michelle Jordan, Kimberly Gosa, Dave Scroggins, Ben Ferrill, Mike Malires, Nicholas Nene, Ken Newberry, Claudia Anderson, James Vandiver, Travis Cummings
OTHERS PRESENT: Billy Smith, John Roberts, Beth Holman, Tony Holman, Jennifer Trice, Martin Sisson, Gerald Clark, Blake Hudson
The meeting was called to order by Mr. Tillery, chairman. Upon call for the ADOPTION OF MINUTES from the meeting held on December 19, 2017, Ms. Warden made a motion to adopt the minutes, which was duly seconded by Mr. Mathews and carried unanimously.
ANSLEE FARMS PHASE 9 was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 41.76-acre, Residence 2-A District tract was located west of Research Park Boulevard and north of Blake Bottom Road. He noted that initial layout approval had been granted in December 2016 and that at that time the layout depicted townhomes and smaller lots. He explained that the developer had since decided upon an all single family development. Mr. Nunez pointed out that a tie northward to Highway 53 had not been eliminated.
Mr. Tillery then called for public comment.
There being none for the record, the public hearing was declared closed.
ASHTON SPRINGS PHASE 2was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 10.72-acre parcel was located east of Indian Creek Road and south of Douglass Road and was a part of the Ashton Springs PUD. He noted that since initial layout approval, additional alleys which were not suitable for drainage and were not required per the adopted PUD documents, had been removed.
Mr. Tillery called for public comment.
There being none, the public hearing was then declared closed.
FANNING COMMERCIAL SUBDIVISION PHASE II (MINOR)was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 1.37-acre, Neighborhood Business C-1 District tract was located south of Four Mile Post Road and west of Bailey Cove Road. He explained that the tract would be subdivided into 2 parcels. He noted that Lot 1 would front along Four Mile Post Road and that access to Four Mile Post Road would be denied for Lot 2. Mr. Nunez further noted that access for Lot 2 would be gained through Lot 1 via a non exclusive joint access easement.
Mr. Tillery then called for public comment.
There being no comment for the record, the public hearing was then declared closed.
JOE HUDSON COLLISION PLAT NO. 1was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 3.17-acre, Highway Business C-4 District tract was located east of Hwy 431 and north of Sutton Road. He noted that initial layout and preliminary approval had been granted in December 2017. He explained that since that time the access point for the property had been changed by ALDOT, which resulted in an adjustment of lot lines.
Mr. Nunez explained that changes included, sewer being moved from Lot 1 to Lot 2 and that Joe Hudson Collision would be constructed on Lot 2, as opposed to Lot 1.
Mr. Tillery called for public comment.
There being none, the public hearing was declared closed.
LAURENWOOD PRESERVE PHASE 4 was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 30.3-acre, Residence 2 parcel was located south of Capshaw Road and west of Balch Road. He further stated that layout approval had been granted in July 2004 and that Phase 3, final platted in December 2007, was to the north of this tract.
Mr. Nunez pointed out that there would be a connection eastward to Bordeaux Lane.
Mr. Tillery then called for public comment.
There being none for the record, the public hearing was then declared closed.
MONTE SANO COVE SUBDIVISIONwas presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this Residence 1-A District, 25.35-acre tract was located north of Dug Hill Road and east of King Drake Road. He explained that it contained upper and lower slope areas. He mentioned that layout approval was being sought on 17 lots.
Mr. Tillery called for public comment.
There being no comment for the record, the public hearing was declared closed.
PEBBLE CREEK PHASE 5 AT RIVER LANDINGwas presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 44.87-acre tract located west of Zierdt Road and north of Beadle Lane, was split zoned Highway Business C-4 District and Residence 2 District. He explained that due to the construction of a road on the tract, the C-4 portion would be subdivided into 2 parcels. He noted that ingress/egress would be gained through these parcels and that 5 lots would be developed within the residential zoned subdivision.
Mr. Tillery called for public comment at this time.
There being no comment for the record, the public hearing was then declared closed.
SWEET STONE FARMS was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 15.32-acre, Residence 2 District property was located south of Harbin Road and east of Wall Triana Highway. He noted that there would be a tie in to Summer Pointe Subdivision, located to the south of the tract.
Mr. Tillery called for public comment.
Mark Calhoun, 338 Weatherford Drive, voiced concern regarding current drainage issues and the impact more development would have on those issues. He also expressed concern about current traffic issues particularly on Harbin Road and the impact that more development would have on those issues.
There being no further public comment, the public hearing was then declared closed.
WILDWOOD COVEwas presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this 30.54-acre, Residence 2 District parcel was located south of Harbin Road and east of Wall Triana Highway. He noted that there were plat restrictions on the property which restricted lots to a 7500-square ft. minimum and to be developed as single family only.
Mr. Nunez further noted that relayout and repreliminary approval on 67 lots had been granted in October 2017. He explained that those plans had detailed a tie in across a common area and a point of ingress. He further explained that because of the estimated cost of establishing the point of ingress, the developer had now amended the layout to remove that point of ingress.
Mr. Nunez continued by stating that this development would be in keeping with adjacent subdivisions. He also mentioned that a pedestrian ingress\egress would be established across the green space/common area.
Mr. Tillery called for public comment.
There being none, the public hearing was declared closed.
LOCATION, CHARACTER, AND EXTENT: NEW HUNTSVILLE MONITORING STATION (#881) was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Tillery noted that although this item had been withdrawn, public comment would still be permitted.
There being no comment for the record, Mr. Tillery noted that the public hearing would remain open for a future meeting.
VACATION OF RIGHT OF WAY REQUEST: Portion of Lowell Drive, Central City between Franklin Street and Adams Street, was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez pointed out the exact location of the portion to be vacated, which he noted was closest to Rand Avenue. He explained that the vacation was necessary due to pending construction of a parking deck. He further explained that this parking facility would serve as extra parking for Huntsville Hospital.
Mr. Tillery then called for public comment.
There being none, the public hearing was declared closed.
VACATION OF RIGHT OF WAY REQUEST: Venture Circle,Northwest City, South Point Industrial Park, adjacent to Lot 6 was presented for public hearing.
Mr. Nunez stated that this property was located near Endeavor Boulevard and east of I-65. He explained that a developer was seeking to expand some facilities in the industrial park and that the layout being proposed would not be able to meet the required setbacks without the vacation of this portion of property.
Mr. Tillery called for public comment.
There being no comment for the record, the public hearing was then declared closed.
IRBY REZONING (1740) was presented for public hearing.
Ms. Nichols stated that this 20.07-acre site, located on the east and west sides of Kirby Lane and north of U.S. Highway 72 West, was presently zoned Residence 2-A District. She continued by stating that the property owner was requesting to rezone the property to Residence 2-B District in order to accommodate development planned for the tract.
Ms. Nichols explained that the petitioner desired to construct a multi-family development on the property. She noted that Residence 2-A would accommodate a 2 story development, while Residence 2-B would accommodate a 3-story development.
Ronnie LaJoy, 162 Kirby Lane, stated that Kirby Lane was a small dead end road and that there was no ability to turn left off of this street. He further stated that Kirby Lane would not be able to accommodate the additional traffic that would occur due to more development. He continued by noting that not only would Kirby Lane be affected by additional traffic but that Highway 72 West would also most likely experience even more congestion.
Mr. LaJoy mentioned that there was speculation that Kirby Lane would be widened in the future. He inquired about whether sidewalks and street lights would be installed, as there were already safety hazard issues on this road. Mr. LaJoy suggested that there should be a road installed between the residential property and nearby commercial property.
Nicholas Nene, City Traffic Engineering Division, stated that current traffic analysis data showed that the average number of daily trips on Kirby Lane was approximately 65 vehicles per day. He noted that if apartments were added to the site in question, that number would increase by approximately 7 additional trips per day per unit.
In regards to plans to widen Kirby Lane, Mr. Nene stated that he had found correspondence which noted a recommendation to widen the road from its current 16-17 feet to 24 feet wide. In regards to installing a connecting road toward a nearby Walmart, Mr. Nene stated that this had been a part of a previous plan introduced in 2012, however that plan never came to fruition.
Mitchell Howard, 8762 Hwy 72 West, echoed a concern regarding traffic congestion which he stated was already pretty bad. He pointed out that several 18-wheeler trucks traveled to and from a nearby business located on Hwy 72 and that these trucks had no option except to make U-turns in order to get to that business. Mr. Howard suggested that it was just a matter of time before a serious accident occurred.
There being no further public comment for the record, the public hearing was declared closed.
ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT: SPECIAL RETAILERS Amend Zoning Ordinance Article 92 – BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, Section 92.5 – Powers and Duties, subsection 92.5.3 – Permitted Uses as Special Exceptions, by amending subsection 92.5.3(33) to update existing special exception language was presented for consideration.
Ms. Nichols stated that this ordinance amendment would update language regarding special retailers to give the Zoning Board of Adjustment the authority to grant a license for up to 3 years. She noted that currently the licenses were only for a 1 year period. Ms. Nichols noted Merrimack Hall and Burritt on the Mountain as examples of special retailers.
There being no public comment for the record, the public hearing was then declared closed.
The Annual 2017 Development Review was then presented by James Vandiver, Planning staff. The following report was made:
Residential Permits
In 2017, 1,574 residential dwellings were issued building permits—a 12.2 percent decrease over 2016. Of these, 1,120 were single-family units, and 454 were multi-family. Apartment construction decreased significantly in 2017, while single-family, townhome and condo developments increased. The total value of all residential buildings permitted in 2017 was approximately $89.1 million, down 4.2 percent from 2016.
The top census tract for residential building permits by the number of units permitted in 2017 was 14.02, home to Research Park. 282 units were permitted in that tract within Huntsville city limits. Tract 109.01, which includes the Hampton Cove area, came in second. Tract 112, which includes the subdivisions along Martin and Zierdt roads, came in third.
1,726 residential units were granted certificates of occupancy in 2017, an 8.4 percent increase over 2016. That number includes 1,049 single-family units, and 677 multi-family units.
The top tract for certificates of occupancy was 106.22, which includes Providence, with 436 units, followed by Tract 109.01 with 251 units, and Tract 112 with 219 units.
A total of 609 permits were issued for residential additions and alterations in 2017. 165 of these permits were for additions to a residence, and 444 were for alterations.
The top tract for additions and alterations last year was 109.01, followed by 18.01 (Monte Sano) and 19.01 (Governors East).
968 single-family lots were approved by the planning commission in 2017, an increase of 30.8 percent from 2016. 745 multi-family units were approved, an increase of 148 percent from the previous year. 49 non-residential lots were also approved.
The largest single-family subdivision, by the total number of lots approved in 2017, was Nature’s Cove Phase 5 (near Hampton Cove) with 137 lots. The largest multi-family development approved last year was the 248 unit Watermark Bridge Street apartment complex in Research Park.
Home Sales/Real Estate
According to data from the North Alabama Multiple Listing Service, 3,269 single-family homes were sold last year in the city of Huntsville, a 7.9 percent increase from 2016. The average sales price for a single-family residence sold in 2017 was $222,662, an increase of 5.2 percent from the year before. The average price per square foot topped $90 for the first time last year.
The top census tracts for the number of single-family homes sold in 2017 has remained unchanged since 2012, with 109.01 leading the pack with 459 homes sold, followed by Tract 112 with 335 homes and Tract 28.02 (the English Village/Bell Mountain area in Southeast Huntsville) with 236 homes.
The census tract with the highest average sales price for a single-family home in 2017 was Tract 19.02 (Jones Valley and the Ledges), which had an average of $619,722. Tract 31 (Downtown) had the second-highest at $457,494, followed by Tract 113 (Green Mountain), which had an average price of $355,157.
The three tracts with the largest increase in sales prices from 2016 to 2017 were tract 3.02 (Rolling Hills) at 75.9 percent; 6.01 (Highlands) at 75.7 percent; and 106.22 at 33 percent.
The areas with the highest average per-square foot price were Tract 31 at $170, Tract 19.02 at $149, and tract 17 (Blossomwood) at $134.
Non-residential Development
482 non-residential building permits were issued in 2017, an increase of 18.1 percent from 2016. The top tract for non-residential construction by the number of permits was 14.02, home to Research Park, where 76 permits were issued last year. Large commercial projects permitted in 2017 included MidCity Huntsville on the site of the former Madison Square Mall, CityCentre at Big Spring downtown, and the GE Aviation facility in Greenbrier.
Annexations
503.8 acres were annexed into the City of Huntsville during 2017. The city size as of December 31, 2017 was 215.7 square miles.
Annexations were mostly concentrated in East Huntsville. The largest annexation of the year, at 96.2 acres, was located near Big Cove.
Population
The population of the City of Huntsville was estimated to be 196,289 as of July 1st, 2017. This is an increase of 9 percent since the 2010 Census. Huntsville continues to be the fastest growing major city in Alabama, with an average annual growth rate of 1.3% over the past decade.
Of Alabama’s four largest cities since 2000, the other three cities—Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile—have experienced near-stagnant population growth over that time period, while Huntsville has continued to record positive gains in population. Huntsville recently surpassed Mobile to become Alabama’s third largest city.
Housing Units
A total of 1,658 housing units were added to the City of Huntsville in 2017, bringing our total as of December 31st to 95,822 units. This is a 12.5 percent increase in total housing units since the 2010 Census.