City plans pocket park off Saulter Road

Green space soon will be coming to residents of Homewood in the Saulter Road neighborhood.

The city plans to convert unused property belonging to Samford University into a pocket park, a 50-year lease that will allow the city to give residents a chance to connect to the Shades Creek Greenway by walking through Samford’s campus, Councilor Barry Smith said.

The project started as an attempt by Samford to give back to the city, Smith said. It also creates an end point for a separate sidewalk project on the road, she said. The city will pay Samford a one-time payment of $10 to lease the property. The city has $200,000 in its budget to improve the park, City Clerk Melody Salter said.

The two structures on the property are not being used and have been demolished by the university, leaving the city to plan and create the park, Smith said.

The park is in the design phase, but sidewalks will be built along Saulter Road first, Smith said. Construction is slated to begin by the end of 2022 or in early 2023 at the latest, she said.

There will be a signalized crosswalk to cross the street where the sidewalks end, Smith said. The existing driveway will be turned into parking, she said.

There also will be public input meetings to see what residents want included in the park, but possibilities include a small playground and a walking trail, according to a rendering.

“I think it will be really good for the neighbors,” Smith said.