Between South Broad Street and Walnut Street in Albertville sits about 102 acres of former farmland, owned by Marlis Properties, LLC. Most of the homes around it sit on lots of an acre or more. In July 2026 the Albertville City Council unanimously approved a plan to put roughly 241 single-family homes on that land under the name Walnut Crossing, developed by Tim Perkins of TerraForge LLC.
Several neighbors spoke against the size of the project at the public hearing. Under the zoning the land already had, a builder could have put about 167 houses there without ever going before the council. The bigger plan is the one that came with strings attached. If you're comparing Albertville with nearby towns and wondering what new homes are coming, those strings matter more than the headline number.
What the Land Could Already Become
The property was zoned R-1, Albertville's low-density single-family district. According to The Sand Mountain Leader's account of the hearing, Perkins told the council that R-1 would have allowed as many as 167 houses, with only the existing subdivision regulations governing materials or home size. That project would have needed Planning Commission approval and nothing more.
He described what that by-right version could look like to the Leader: a national builder could "stack together 167 houses with vinyl siding, priced in the low $220,000s, with no sidewalks and no amenities." He also said that keeping the land as farmland wasn't an option, "because the property is for sale."
Here are the two paths side by side, using Albertville's zoning ordinance adopted February 3, 2026, and the Walnut Crossing approval:
| R-1 by right | Walnut Crossing PUD | |
|---|---|---|
| Approximate home count | About 167, per the developer | About 241 reported; ordinance says roughly 250 lots |
| Council hearing required | No | Yes, held July 7, 2026 |
| Minimum lot size | 15,000 square feet | Varying lot sizes, tied to the approved concept plan |
| Minimum house size | 1,200 square feet of living space | House sizes tied to the approved concept plan |
| Sidewalks, curb and gutter, street lighting | Not required by zoning | Required on all streets |
| HOA | Not required | Required |
| Who is bound | Subdivision regulations only | Developer plus any successors or assigns |
Perkins put the trade plainly. The planned extras, including sidewalks, a fishing pond and green space for grilling out or playing cornhole, needed enough lots to pay for them. With fewer houses, he said, "the lot prices would be much higher" and the homes less affordable. He also said, "Smaller lots don't mean smaller houses."
What the Ordinance Locks In, and What It Leaves to a Promise
A planned unit development, or PUD, is a zoning category Albertville's ordinance says it wants to "promote and encourage" where the location fits. The applicant has to submit preliminary plans, show how common areas will be maintained, and provide a traffic analysis. The Walnut Crossing ordinance, Number 2041-26, then sets out its own conditions:
- The development must substantially follow the concept plan's lot sizes, green space, perimeter buffering, house sizes and two-car garages, with single-family detached homes only.
- Every street gets sidewalks, curb and gutter, street lighting and underground utilities.
- Stormwater runoff after development can't exceed the pre-development level.
- Traffic access has to follow the April 2026 traffic impact study by Skipper Consulting, Inc.
- An active HOA must be set up to manage the common areas, amenities and private infrastructure.
- Phasing gets approved with the final subdivision plat, and preliminary plat approval rests with the Planning Commission.
The most important condition for a future buyer is the third numbered one. The approval covers the developer "and its legal successors and assigns," and anyone who takes over the project "shall be fully bound to the same extent the Developer is bound." Substantial changes need to go back through the Planning Commission and City Council. If the land or lots change hands partway through a five-to-seven-year buildout, the rules go with them.
Council President Nathan Broadhurst explained the city's reasoning, as quoted by the Leader:
"By approving this, we're locking in specific architectural standards and restricting this property to single-family detached homes."
He added that the developer couldn't decide next year to build cheaper structures or switch to apartments.
Some of what was said at the hearing is not written into the conditions, though. Perkins told the council, "We're doing hard siding, we're doing brick. We're doing the sidewalks and the amenity," and then said "there's nothing in the PUD that requires those features." Sidewalks did end up as a written condition. Brick and hard siding appear in the developer's stated plans, not in the ordinance's list of conditions. Perkins said homes would run up to 3,000 square feet and up to $400,000. WAFF reported that the PUD designation gives the council input on home designs.
Why This Won't Change Your Search This Year
When the council voted, Perkins said earth would likely start moving in February and called it "a five-to-seven-year project." Those were forecasts in July. Phasing still has to be approved with a final plat.
Spreading 241 homes over five to seven years works out to roughly 34 to 48 homes a year once construction is moving. At the same meeting, Albertville Economic Development director Mike Price said the city's population has grown about 1.17% a year over the last five years, or 264 new residents annually, and that Albertville is the fastest-growing micropolitan area in Alabama. Walnut Crossing would add a few dozen homes a year for several years. It won't put a large number of homes on the market at once.
The Leader also reported that TerraForge's earlier Crawford Ridge development off Main Street sold out in six months. Perkins said that result, along with Albertville landing the Target project, convinced the company the city's growth warranted a larger development.
The Shortage Is Narrower Than It Sounds
At the hearing, both city leaders and economic development officials described a housing shortage. Marshall County Economic Development Council Executive Director Kevin Hawk said, "You've already got a shortage." The county's listing data from September 2026 doesn't show a market where everything sells instantly:
- Marshall County had 502 active listings in September 2026, down from 533 in June, according to FRED's active listing series for the county.
- The median listing spent 94 days on the market in September 2026, per FRED's days-on-market series, up 22.08% from a year earlier.
- The county's median listing price in September 2026 was $393,725. That is an asking price, not a sale price.
Homes are taking longer to sell than they did a year ago, which isn't what an across-the-board shortage looks like. Broadhurst described something more specific. He said the city needs "high-quality, modern housing inventory" for "managers, engineers, educators, healthcare professionals, and young families," and told WAFF the demand is for "high quality homes for middle to upper class families." Council member Jill Oakley said many young families moving to the area "are not of the generation that wants 2 or 3 acres of property."
Taken together, the county has plenty of homes for sale, and they're sitting longer. What's short is newer homes on smaller in-town lots with sidewalks, the kind Crawford Ridge sold in six months. Walnut Crossing's planned ceiling of $400,000 lands right around the county's median asking price. If you're looking at that price range today, you're competing with resale homes that have more time on market than they did last fall. That usually gives buyers more room to negotiate on price.
Questions Worth Asking Once Lots Come to Market
If Walnut Crossing appeals to you as a future option, these questions follow from the ordinance itself:
- Which phase is the lot in, and what amenities does that phase's final plat include?
- What will the HOA cover, since the ordinance makes it responsible for common areas, amenities and private infrastructure?
- Are brick or hard siding written into the builder's contract or HOA covenants, given that the PUD conditions don't list them?
- Who is the homebuilder? Perkins didn't name one at the hearing.
- How far along are the traffic improvements tied to the Skipper Consulting study?
HOA rules, covenants and plat terms are legal documents. This post is general information and not legal or financial advice, so please confirm the specifics of any lot or contract with an attorney or the appropriate professional.
A Few Common Questions
Is Walnut Crossing under construction? The developer projected earthwork for February when the council approved the plan in July 2026. Phasing is set with the final subdivision plat.
Will there be townhomes or apartments? No. The ordinance limits the development to single-family detached homes, and Perkins said, "There will be no apartments, no townhomes."
Does the site have city sewer? Perkins said there is no city sewer to the site. He said a lift station will handle wastewater and that the development is planned to create no more wastewater than the property does now.
What happens if the developer sells the project? Any successor is bound by the same conditions, and substantial changes require approval from the Planning Commission and City Council.
Walnut Crossing is still years from full buildout. Until then, what's for sale in Albertville is today's mix of resale homes and a few new builds. If you'd like to talk through how a subdivision's approval conditions, HOA terms or phasing could affect a home you're considering, or what's available around Albertville right now, Lowery Real Estate Group will give you straight answers and walk through it with you at your pace. Contact Us.
