Villarreal seeks annexation to apartments, Parker to start subdivision

Jun. 17—Local businessman Andy Villarreal is moving forward with the annexation process for his planned high-end apartment complex, and more subdivisions are in the pipeline as the three-year surge in Decatur residential development continues.

Villarreal had his 14.75 acres off Upper River Road pre-zoned in April for R-4, multi-family residential, despite the opposition from the neighboring residents of Hickory Hill subdivision.

A pre-zoning sets the zoning district in anticipation of the property annexation within six months. Villarreal's request for the property's annexation passed through the city's Technical Review Committee this week, but no comments were made. The request now advances for consideration by the Planning Commission, which is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Villarreal said in February that he plans to spend up to $25 million building a Class A apartment complex with 175 to 200 units.

Civil engineer Richard Humphrey, of Pugh Wright McAnally, said this week he is working on the site plan so it will be a few months before the project reaches the beginning stages.

Meanwhile, a Central Avenue Southwest subdivision is moving forward again. Humphrey presenting Phase 1 of Valley Park to the Technical Review Committee. The committee of city departments and local utilities reviews and makes recommendations and suggestions on proposed developments, annexations and zoning proposals.

Jeff Parker, a real estate broker and developer working for Wilshire LLC, started the process last year of getting city approval for a 30-acre subdivision at 3914 Central Avenue S.W.

However, he put Valley Park on hold while he focused on the Legacy Cove subdivision off Point Mallard Drive Southeast. His plan was to complete the infrastructure, which includes site work, utilities and roads, of Legacy Cove's Phase 1 and then sell the estate lots to other contractors to build before starting on Valley Park.

Parker said Wednesday he's reached his goal on the first phase of Legacy Cove. He's sold three lots with construction beginning on the first home at Legacy Cove.

Now Parker is ready to begin Valley Park, starting with a Phase 1 of 20 homes on 5.3 acres.

"We've got the materials on site so we're ready to start (Valley Park) as soon as we get (Planning Commission) approval next week," Parker said.

While larger estate lots are planned for Legacy Cove, Valley Park has a R-3 zoning, which allows for smaller homes on 7,000-square-foot lots.

Parker said he's not sure how he will develop this phase of Valley Park. He said he could sell first phase to a contractor who will buy and build all 20 lots or he will build them.

City Planner Lee Terry told the committee, which consists of city departments and utilities representatives, that the Valley Park site plan had to be reapproved by the Planning Commission because it has been a roughly a year since the plan was originally presented.

Otherwise, the Valley Park preliminary site plan didn't receive any comments from the other committee members. Now it goes to the Planning Commission for approval at next week's meeting.

Parker said he also begun planning for a second phase at Legacy Cove. This phase will be the smaller R-3 lots instead of the luxury homes in the first phase. — Carridale project

The planned town home subdivision, now named Hines Corner, that's planned for the corner of Austinville Road and Carridale Street in Southwest Decatur continues to work through the city approval process.

Humphrey presented the Hines Corner minor plat — a design for a subdivision of 10 lots or less — to the review committee on behalf of contractor Danny Hill. The plat features 10 town homes on 2 acres

The committee didn't make any suggested changes even though the City Council had questions when it approved the rezoning to R-6, multi-family unattached homes, about alley exits to Austinville and Carridale.

The minor plat now goes to the Planning Commission. — Other developments

—The Technical Review Committee passed the minor plat for a small subdivision of three patio homes, which would be Milford Place Phase 3, at Hempstead Avenue Southwest. The homeowners' association is replacing the tennis courts with the zero-lot patio homes.

—Humphrey presented a minor plat of a 10-home subdivision on 33.1 acres at 2436 Chapel Hill Road Southwest for Chad Hoge. Terry added one condition to the plat notes. It warns the eventual owners of the subdivision's three lots along Chapel Hill Road that the city plans to possibly use its rights of way "if we ever decide to widen the road."

The owners would have to remove fencing, paving, private utilities or any other private structure in the right of way at their own expense if the widening should occur, Terry said.

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