The Huntsville City Council will vote on annexing more than 1,000 acres at its meeting on Thursday.
The property is partially in northeast Morgan County and partially in northwest Marshall County. If approved, Huntsville’s city limits will extend into four counties (Madison and Limestone included).
Documents in the agenda package do not indicate the plans for the property. The property borders Huntsville-annexed land south of the Tennessee River in the Lacey’s Spring area in the southeastern part of the city. It is south of River Loop Road, and east and west of Vaughn Road.
Huntsville has already annexed more than 600 acres this year after only annexing 85 in 2024. This year’s annexations now make the Rocket City the 37th largest city in the nation at more than 227 square miles, about the same size as Chicago and San Francisco geographically.
According to census tract data Huntsville is larger than:
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New Orleans (169.5 square miles)
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Denver (153.1 square miles)
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Las Vegas (141.9 square miles)
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Philadelphia (134.3 square miles).
Wiz Kidz, LLC, and Hollingshead Materials, LLC, are listed as the owners of the property to be voted on.
Wiz Kidz is managed by John Wisda, who was involved in Huntsville’s previous annexation of more than 659 acres in Morgan County in 2018. At the time, recreational and residential development was proposed for the across the river annexation.
Commercial, industrial and residential developments are proposed for land previously taken in by the city this year. Huntsville City Councilwoman Michelle Watkins has voiced concerns over annexations of land involving residential development because of the potential for overcrowding city schools.
Watkins voted against the annexation of nearly 400 acres earlier this year near the Interstate 65-565 interchange where about 3,000 homes are proposed and abstained in the vote on 121 acres on June 26 where more than 100 homes are proposed off Little Cove Road.
Huntsville’s growth hasn’t just been with land. It has been the most populated city in the state for several years and is now at more than 230,000 residents –
continuing to add more residents each year than anywhere else in the state.
The city council will also be voting on Thursday to set up a public hearing on Aug. 28 for zoning more than 27 acres annexed earlier this year west of Old Big Cove Road and north of Buford Drive. Breland Companies – the developer for Clift Farm and Town Madison – is the owner of the site. Single family homes are proposed for the development.
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