Ditto with Whitesburg Bridge.JPG

Dr. John Wisda is asking the City of Huntsville to annex 618 acres he owns along the Tennessee River in Morgan County. The unincorporated property is east of the Whitesburg Bridge directly across from Ditto Landing. (Paul Huggins | phuggins@al.com)

Huntsville leaders are considering a request to extend the city limits across the Tennessee River for the first time.

Dr. John Wisda has petitioned Huntsville to annex 618 acres of riverside property that he owns in rural Morgan County, directly across from Ditto Landing.

City Councilwoman Jennie Robinson said Wisda is offering to donate 300 acres to the city for future expansion of Ditto, the 572-acre public park and marina at the base of Whitesburg Bridge in Madison County.

Wisda would develop the rest of his land as a high-end residential community with horse riding, said Robinson.

"We could protect the viewscape and control development that happens over on that (Morgan County) side," Robinson told AL.com Wednesday night. "In my mind, this is a crossing of the river that makes sense."

Huntsville already controls about 10,000 acres of mostly undeveloped farmland in neighboring Limestone County.

Dr. John Wisda is asking the City of Huntsville to annex 618 acres he owns along the Tennessee River in Morgan County. The unincorporated property is east of the Whitesburg Bridge directly across from Ditto Landing. (File photo)

The City Council is expected to discuss Wisda's annexation request during a work session today. The meeting starts at 4 p.m. on the ground floor of City Hall, 308 Fountain Circle.

Council members will also talk about a new master plan for Ditto Landing unveiled Wednesday night.

Wisda could not be reached for comment.

Wally Kirkpatrick, who chairs Ditto Landing's governing board, said the Wisda property includes an 80-acre lake. If Ditto acquires the land, Kirkpatrick envisions using the lake for waterskiing and possibly creating a public beach on the Morgan County side of the river.

"There are just lots of possibilities," he said.

Wisda wants his property in the Huntsville city limits so future residents will have access to city schools, said Robinson. The proposed neighborhood would likely be zoned for Farley Elementary, Challenger Middle and Grissom High schools.

Robinson this week toured the undeveloped property near Lacey's Spring with Wisda, Huntsville Planning Director Michelle Jordan and Huntsville Director of Long-Range Planning Dennis Madsen.

Jordan said Wisda, a Huntsville physician and residential developer who owns New Castle Homes, submitted the annexation petition in October 2014.

"We haven't moved on it because we were trying to understand what his proposal was," she said Thursday. "I don't think we had a clear understanding of that until we went and visited with him."

Jordan said the petition lists "city services" as the reason for the annexation request. However, she said her understanding is that Wisda would cover the cost of bringing sewer service to the remote location.

His proposed new neighborhood would have 29 estate lots ranging from four to almost 40 acres, said Jordan.

Kelly Schrimsher, communications director for Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, said Battle and Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long have discussed the annexation request.