Huntsville residents concerned proposed Flint River subdivision will add to flooding problems

Huntsville residents concerned proposed Flint River subdivision will add to flooding problems

Will the construction of a 198-home subdivision add to problems in an area in Huntsville known for flooding?

That’s the concern of residents who live near the proposed Nature’s Walk on the Flint East in the southeastern part of the city near the Flint River.

Lennar Homes of Alabama is the developer of the almost 110-acre subdivision south of River Park Boulevard and east of Old Big Cove Road.

Residents told the Huntsville Planning Commission last week that subdivisions already in the area have already experienced multiple 25-year rain events since 2019 with flood waters backing up on city streets and threatening homes.

“We’re getting more rainfall and more flooding dumped in our common areas,” said Brandon Morehead, the president of the homeowner’s association of an adjacent 244-home subdivision. “We have 150 acres all in a flood plain. The common areas, we have to maintain. We have concerns about backing up more water and causing more damage to our common areas. It’s in a flood plain, and I understand that. It’s really no big deal.”

But he said, “when it starts flooding city streets and starts coming toward residences, it becomes concerning.”