Developer moving quickly on Southwest Decatur subdivision

Bayne Hughes, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
·4 min read

Aug. 30—Mass-produced homes are planned for Southwest Decatur in a development that Rausch Coleman Homes said will appeal to those who cannot afford a residence in the Madison/Huntsville area.

The Arkansas-based company is preparing to start on the new Glenmont Acres subdivision off Central Avenue and Poole Valley Road that will have up to six phases and as many as 260 new homes on 34.75 acres.

The company recently purchased building permits from the city's Building Department for 11 three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes. Zach Merrill, Rausch Coleman sales manager in Huntsville, Madison, Toney, Cullman and Decatur, said the company's goal is to price the 11 homes at just over $200,000 each.

Blake McAnally, of Pugh Wright McAnally, is the local civil engineer for the project. He said he expects Rausch Coleman to put the subdivision on the fast track.

"Decatur hasn't seen anything like it," McAnally said of the speed in which the company builds.

Merrill said the tract-home builder uses mass production to create efficiencies that allow for lower list prices.

"We're a production builder," Merrill said. "We typically like to have 10 homes at a time, but it's not uncommon for us to have 20 or 30 homes going up."

The City Council rezoned the property from agriculture to PRD-7, planned residential development, in September 2022 for Jeff Parker and Greystone Properties, which then sold the land.

The PRD-7 zoning allows developers to include mixed uses in their subdivision development with lesser setbacks. McAnally said they will have a "few unique setbacks," but most of the interior lots will have 6- and 8-foot setbacks, which is the distance from lot lines.

The plat on the first phase of Glenmont Acres shows 35 homes while the second phase features 33 homes. The 11 homes will be the first built in the subdivision's 7.6-acre Phase 1, where lots on the north and south end are more than 8,700 square feet each, and lots in the center will be about 6,900 square feet or larger. Most of the lots on the 7.91 acres of Phase 2 are set to be 6,910 to 7,695 square feet but five of the lots will be larger at 8,766 to 20,151 square feet.

Merrill said Rausch Coleman is eager to start its first subdivision in Decatur because the company feels its product will fit a need for the city.

"We see a need for new homes," Merrill said. "We see a need for new homes for firefighters, teachers and police officers that is attainable and affordable at the moment."

He said prices are quickly increasing in the Madison/Huntsville area so Decatur is becoming a place where people can buy less expensive homes.

Merrill said they plan to start with single-family homes but town homes are planned as a part of future phases of their subdivision to create more of an opportunity to buy a home without having to take care of larger lawns.

Billy Strobel, of Decatur Utilities, said they need an evaluation from the contractors of unfinished utilities so a bond amount can be set.

In other local development news:

—Local contractor Danny Hill is getting started on the new town home development at the corner of Austinville Road and Carridale Street in Southwest Decatur.

The Planning Commission approved the minor plat last week for 11 town homes on the roughly 2-acre development on what is called Hines Corner.

Hill said he is in the process of selling the other town home development that's planned farther west on Carridale Street. The 1.52-acre site is where Decatur Florist and Nursery once operated at Carridale's intersection with Clara Avenue. He did begin the site work to start this development for the new owner.

—Murphy Oil USA is redoing its gas station in front of the Super Walmart at 2800-B Spring Ave. S.W. The commission approved the site plan for Pan American Engineers LLC.

—The commission approved Morris Holdings' petition to subdivide 14.94 acres out of 60.2 acres for River Road Estates, located east of Henry Drive and west of Deere Road Southeast. McAnally said this is in preparation for another phase of the Morris subdivision.

—The Planning Commission voted to reduce the $250,000 bond for the 10-acre Foxwood Subdivision Addition 3 in the Burningtree area by $205,900 since DU approved the completion of the electrical, water and sewer for the project. The city now needs an updated bond of $44,100.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.