Huntsville city officials are not aware of Native American artifacts or native species on almost 400 acres of land the city annexed in Limestone County earlier this year.

But Thomas Nunez, the city’s manager for planning and zoning services, said site assessments will be done on the property during development on that site. The Huntsville City Council approved the initial zoning of the land near the Interstate 65-565 interchange on Thursday that could pave the way for a Village of Providence-type development.

Nunez said there were state regulations in place and guidance from the city’s own sustainability committee that would protect sites of historical significance on the property, as well as species native to the area.

Nunez was responding to concerns raised by Arbor Drive resident Joy Johnson, who repeated concerns from local environmental advocates that the property was home to Chickasaw Indian plum trees and was a former village and orchard site.

Johnson also raised concerns about the proposed development’s impact on the neighboring Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, which covers an area on both sides of the Tennessee River.

Nunez said the refuge was a protected area “and will remain in its natural state.”

He said the city’s engineering department had water quality requirements that the developers must meet with water runoff into the refuge. Development near the refuge is not new. Huntsville’s Greenbrier Preserve also borders the refuge, as do subdivisions in Priceville and Decatur. It is also down river from several industrial plants in Decatur’s industrial park.

The City Council voted 4-0-1 to zone the property known as Westmoore Landing Residence 2B District and Highway Business C4 district. District 1 City Councilwoman Michelle Watkins abstained during the vote over concerns about the impact of the development on Huntsville City Schools, which is having to address enrollment issues in growing parts of the city.

She voted against the annexation earlier this year.

Nunez said developers planned to build between 2,200 and 3,000 homes on the more than 395 -acre site. Retail development is also planned.

Nunez said developers are planning a mixture of housing types including single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes, and multifamily units. He said many of the single-family homes would be cottage-style and manor-style.

The development would be across the interstate from the Decatur city limits. Decatur once had plans for a similar development on the southwest corner of the interchange with a Bass Pro Shop and hotel included with housing called the Sweetwater Development, but that development fell through more than a decade ago.

Nunez told the Council the development will come before it and the Huntsville Planning Commission multiple times throughout the development process. That includes a possible zoning change to a planned urban development.

See story: Huntsville’s Limestone annexation a game-changer? 4,000 homes may be coming – al.com