Madison City Council approves development agreement with Breland Homes for Kyser Blvd townhomes

Madison resident Robert Kendall has been speaking to the city council against the development in several city council meetings over the past few months. RECORD PHOTO/JOHN FEW

MADISON – Those arguing for and against a new development agreement between the city of Madison and Breland Homes, LLC seemed ready for the city council to make their decision and move on at Monday night’s city council meeting.

Breland Homes is looking build luxury townhomes on 106 acres at the end of Kyser Boulevard near downtown Madison. Residents who live adjacent to the property have argued against the development for months, saying it will only cause more problems for the city schools’ overpopulation problem. They have been pointing out the fact the proposed development goes against the city’s existing growth plan to help manage the fast-paced growth in Madison.

The land Breland hopes to build on was planned for industrial development, not residential homes. However, the city council has the final say over zoning, and they exercised that right Monday night by approving the development agreement, essentially giving a green light for the project to proceed.

“We have worked very hard with the city staff to come up with a project we feel fits not only the land that is available, but also long-term interest and needs of the city of Madison,” Breland representative Joey Ceci told city council members. “It limits the number of school-age children that might come into the city through a project like this, and returns significant value to the city.”

According to the agreement, there will be a maximum of 50 townhome units completed per year over an 8 to 10 year period. “These will be marketed to senior adults and young professionals,” Ceci said. “The floor plans are designed with those markets in mind. They are very open, no bonus room, no rec room. They are all one-story and are a mix of one, two and a few three bedroom units. They are very much geared towards active seniors and young adults.”

There will be a two-car garage on each unit — no street parking will be allowed, Ceci said. He also stated the townhomes will not be occupied until 2020 at the earliest, and “at this point it looks more like 2021 before we see any townhome units occupied,” he added.

Ceci also said Breland will build a 30-foot berm along the property between the townhomes and railroad tracks that run next to the property to shield the residents from noise issues. And, because the development is close to the flight path of the Huntsville International Airport, additional sound proofing will be added in the homes to comply with FAA regulations.

There will also be a pool, clubhouse and strict HOA guidelines approved by the city.

Part of the value Ceci mentioned includes an added greenway. He said Breland will construct a greenway that connects the Bradford Creek Greenway and Palmer Park to downtown Madison. “It will help connect an enormous amount of infrastructural and interest points within the city. We believe it helps our development. It helps the neighborhood that adjoins us and it actually becomes another leg of the Singing River Trail of North Alabama.”

The Singing River Trail will span from Huntsville to Athens, passing through Madison and crossing the Tennessee River. The trail will be seventy miles long and includes several greenways in and around Madison.

“We have discussed this plan with the Singing River Trail consultants and they are very much in favor of it,” Ceci said.

Madison resident Robert Kendall has been speaking to the city council against the development in several city council meetings over the past few months. The vote on the development agreement has been continued by the council three times, prompting Kendal to plead with council members to please make a decision on the issue and not drag it out any further.

“If you are going to do it, then do it and get it done, or stop it,” Kendal told city council members Monday night.

He has been saying that amending the way the property is currently zoned from industrial development to allow residential homes makes no sense. Encouraging the development of that land to bring more jobs into the city would be a better use, he said.

“I do not want more residents in that area because it will not help our community,” Kendall has told city council members. “Let’s talk about bringing industry into that area, which it is zoned for, that can contribute to our industrial tax base. It doesn’t bring more children to our schools and allows our schools to be prepared to accommodate the influx of residents that are going to be increased in the other development projects currently going on.”

Madison City Schools saw an increase of nearly 600 students over the past year, and is expected to increase by that much this year. A special election has been set for Sept. 10 for voters to decide on a 12-mill property tax increase to help fund two new schools, an elementary and middle school, and construct additions at Bob Jones High Schools and James Clemens High School to handle the growth.  If it passes, the schools could be completed by 2021.

Kendall said this is not the time nor in the city’s long-term interest to approve the development agreement.

Other residents echoed Kendall’s concern to the city council.

Opponents of the plan also took issue in the past with a section of the development agreement that calls on the city to pay a third of the cost to build a road to the Kyser townhomes.

Ceci said Monday that Breland wants to build the three-lane arterial road at a cost of $3 million without the city’s help. The new road will connect the end of Kyser, where it currently dead ends, to Westchester, which runs to Madison Blvd.  It would strictly be for traffic with no lots fronting it.

Breland had originally asked the city to fund a section of the new road that did not cross the property Breland owns. That would have cost the city $190,000. However, Ceci asked the city council to amend the agreement to allow Breland to pick up that cost and pay for the entire construction.

“After discussing this with the city council and the public, we would rather just take on that task ourselves and show the value to the city and public of what Madison is getting out of this development agreement,” Ceci said.

In the end, the development agreement with Breland passed with a 5-1 vote. District 6 Councilman Gerald Clark left the meeting before the issue of the agreement was addressed. District 4 Councilman Greg Shaw voted against the agreement, and District 3 Councilman Teddy Powell abstained.

“I have been really torn on this issue,” Powell said before announcing he planned to not vote. “I have been saying the developers and the school board need to work together.”

Powell added that he will abstain from all further similar development proposals that come before the city council until the two groups can work together.

When asked by a concerned resident if Breland can be trusted to keep their end of the agreement, Powell did say that the company has honored their past agreements within his district and has a good track record.

“They have to follow the agreement,” City Council President Steve Smith said. “If they do not, they cannot sell the townhomes.”

Breland Homes is looking build luxury town homes on 106 acres at the end of Kyser Boulevard near downtown Madison. RECORD PHOTO/JOHN FEW