Huntsville moves to protect established residential neighborhoods

HUNTSVILLE — As people drive through neighborhoods in Huntsville, apartment buildings seem to be springing up like cotton in days gone by.

The multifamily housing can threaten the character and stability of those established neighborhoods, residents say.

To protect those single-family neighborhoods, the Huntsville has changed the zoning in certain neighborhoods from Resident 2A (R2A) to Residence 2 (R2).

This change means new multi-family housing (such as apartments) can no longer be built in these designated areas that are already fully developed with single-family homes.

“We’ve seen more attempts to turn traditional neighborhoods into multi-family housing,” said city Manager of Planning Services Thomas Nunez. “That kind of development can harm the character and stability of single-family areas.”

Zoning is recognized as one of the most effective methods for shaping a community’s built environment.

In Huntsville’s Big Picture Master Plan, one of the key policy recommendations was to implement zoning updates. This critical planning component includes a review of existing land use, not only to identify areas along transportation corridors suitable for additional housing but also to reduce redevelopment pressure on single-family neighborhoods.“

“The Big Picture Plan acknowledged that many areas within the city limits were assigned zoning designations decades ago, despite changing contexts over time,” said Dennis Madsen, manager of Long-Range Planning. “As a result, a comprehensive zoning policy review was recommended to assess whether current designations continue to serve the best interests of residents and businesses.”

Nunez said the city still supports building multifamily housing, just not in neighborhoods that are already established as single-family communities.

But he also said new R2A zoning is still being approved in places where multifamily housing makes sense.

“The recommendation to move from R2A to R2 zoning eliminates the ability to create multifamily housing in a single-family environment,” Nunez said. “The neighborhoods we selected have been fully developed as single-family residences, and the proposed rezoning aims to protect their established character from redevelopment pressures.”

The zoning update will protect about 55,000 single-family homes throughout Huntsville, he said.

“By maintaining single-family zoning, this action helps preserve neighborhood stability and ensures that future development remains consistent with the community’s character and the best interests of its residents,“ Nunez said. “This action further protects long-standing neighborhoods from potential redevelopment into apartment complexes.”