By Terry Schrimscher
SPRINGVILLE — The Planning and Zoning Commission for the city of Springville met on Tuesday night, August 3, for a work session to establish an agenda for its regular meeting scheduled for August 17.
One item presented for discussion is a proposed housing development near the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve — a Forever Wild property located off of Murphree’s Valley Road in Springville.
The proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD), named The Haven, was presented by Holland Homes, based in Auburn, Ala. Preliminary plans for The Haven include as many as 484 homes on 236 acres.
“What we’re proposing is a planned unit development. The reason for that is we feel we can get a better product for everybody,” said Thomas Johnson, head of community development for Holland Homes. “We’re able to save much more open space that would not be required under a typical R-1 zoning.”
Johnson said the PUD would preserve a lot more of the forests than a standard housing development.
Only part of the proposed development exists inside the current city limits of Springville. The plans would also involve annexing the entire community into the city.
“St. Clair County is projected to be one of the top five growing communities in Alabama,” said Daniel Holland, owner of Holland Homes. “Kudos to Springville, and to you guys, that Springville is one of the places in St. Clair County that they want to be.”
Holland is a Springville native who graduated from Springville High School in 2007.
“We want to do this instead of R-1 because it is going to be so much better for Springville and so much better for the homeowners who end up living in The Haven,” said Holland.
“We’re going to get questions from the citizens ‘we see the developer’s plan, what’s your plan?’” said Stephen Graham, Board Chairman for the Planning and Zoning Commission. “Robinson Street’s going to see the traffic. Our four-way stop is going to see the traffic. We have to be prepared to answer those questions.”
Graham did not commit to voting on the proposal in the August 17 meeting.
Current zoning ordinances in Springville require any PUD request to include a series of statements revolving around land use and density. Developers are also required to conduct a traffic study, a watershed drainage study, and an education impact study along with other studies deemed necessary by the City of Springville. Graham indicated a sewer impact study may also be needed.
In other business, the commission placed a review of the second phase of Archer’s Cove on the agenda for the August 17 meeting. Also placed on the agenda is a request by Rick Sargent to rezone 68 acres adjacent to MacDonald Farms from R-1 single-family to A-1 agriculture zoning.
Once a zoning request is approved by the Commission, it will go before the City Council for any public hearings and a final vote.
New commission member Doug Morrison ended the meeting by speaking on the environmental impacts of construction and the need to protect the Big Canoe Creek Watershed with buffers to prevent sediments from polluting the streams and harming protected wildlife.
Morrison has been involved in efforts to preserve the watershed area for years and has worked closely with the city and the Forever Wild program to create the nature preserve.