В Хантсвилле начали строительство 2,2-миллиардного жилого комплекса у границы с национальным заповедником

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WAFF ) - Developers and Huntsville leaders broke ground last week on Westmoore Landing, a $2.2 billion development that will transform nearly 400 acres of former farmland near the I-65 and I-565 interchange, next to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. When complete, the community is expected to include about 3,500 homes, along with retail, restaurants and businesses. The Singing River Trail will run through the development, connecting the residential and commercial areas. Construction is expected to continue for several years. Kyle Lybarger, a forester and conservation advocate with the Native Habitat Project, said the loss of farmland removes a longstanding buffer between the refuge and urban development. “There’s always been that buffer between our National Wildlife Refuge and an urban area. We had those rural areas in between. Well, those rural areas aren’t there anymore. It’s going to be urban all the way up next to our wildlife refuge,” Lybarger said. Lybarger said putting thousands of people next to the refuge could change how wildlife uses the area. “When those fields are gone, when they turn into something else, those birds that migrate here, they don’t have an area to rest. Those crane species... need those wide open fields to feel protected,” Lybarger said. Trey Rochford, the project’s developer, said environmental protection is part of the plan. “What I can tell you is that we’re very responsible in how we go about things... We start with the engineers from day one to make sure that what we are doing has the minimal impact on the environment,” Rochford said. Rochford said the project will use low-impact designs, including lighting that points downward instead of into the night sky. “We use the dark sky practices that require the lighting fixtures that point down and don’t just wash across the sky and don’t add to the light pollution out there,” Rochford said. Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!