Samford Creekside development moves to council with positive recommendation from Planning Commission

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Homewood's Planning Commission voted at Tuesday's meeting to pass the Samford University's Creekside District development plan to City Council with a positive recommendation.

The project, brought to the city by Samford and Landmark Development, is part of the university's master plan and is "envisioned as another beloved Homewood destination for Homewood residents to live, work, learn, shop, play and relax in a beautiful, natural urban setting" and would be a multi-use development with a walkable town square environment.

The proposed mixed-use project has raised concerns about safety and the impact on traffic, particularly surrounding the high school and young drivers. Other questions about parking, flooding and the environmental impact on Homewood's beloved Salamanders where the project proposes athletic facilities be built have been brought up. The height of the proposed hotel, currently planned for 10-12 stories has also raised flags for some.

There were four items on the meeting agenda related to the project:

  1. Case # RZ 25-03-02: 1601 Parkview Lane and 600 & 601 University Park Place, Parcel ID: 28-00-19-2-001-003.003, 28-00-19-2-001-003.004, 29-00-24-1-007-004.000, Applicant: Landmark Development Services, LLC, Owner: Samford University & University Park Holdings, LLC Purpose: A request to rezone the subject properties, comprising Samford University’s proposed Creekside District — West, from PMUD, Planned Mixed Use District to an MXD, Mixed Use District zoning classification to facilitate the development of a new mixed-use and pedestrian-oriented community.
  2. Case # FD 25-03-03: 1601 Parkview Lane and 600 & 601 University Park Place, Parcel ID: 28-00-19-2-001-003.003, 28-00-19-2-001-003.004, 29-00-24-004.000, Applicant: Landmark Development Services, LLC, Owner: Samford University & University Parks Holdings, LLC Purpose: A request for approval of a Final Development Plan for the proposed Creekside District — West to include a diverse mix of commercial, retail, dining and entertainment uses, hospitality and conferencing facilities, some residential housing that would be limited to Samford University affiliated users, as well as surface and structured parking, landscaping, and other site improvements.
  3. Case # RZ 25-03-04: 1891, 1919, & 1921 South Lakeshore Drive and 1100 University Park Place, Parcel ID: 28-00-18-4-000-002.000, 28-00-18-3-001-009.001, 28-00-19-2-001-003.001, 28-00-19-2-001-003.002 Applicant: Landmark Development Services, LLC, Owner: Samford University Purpose: A request to rezone the subject properties, comprising Samford University’s proposed Creekside District — East, from PMUD, Planned Mixed Use District to an I-3, Institutional District zoning classification to facilitate the construction of new athletic fields and supporting infrastructure and open spaces for the shared use of Samford University and Homewood High School.
  4. Case # FD 25-03-05: 1891, 1919, & 1921 South Lakeshore Drive and 1100 University Park Place, Parcel ID: 28-00-18-4-000-002.000, 28-00-18-3-001-009.001, 28-00-19-2-001-003.001, 28-00-19-2-001-003.002 Applicant: Landmark Development Services, LLC, Owner: Samford University Purpose: A request for approval of a Final Development Plan for the proposed Creekside District — East to include a mixture of recreational facilities including: a regulation size track and field stadium, a regulation soccer field, intramural / community recreation fields / courts, baseball diamond (existing), as well as surface parking to support the development.

Item one passed 9-0 with a positive recommendation while item two passed 6-3 with a positive recommendation. Commission members Jennifer Andress, Giani Respinto and Winslow Armstead voted no. Item 3 passed 7-2 with a positive recommendation, with members Erik Henninger and Winslow Armstead voting no. Item four passed 5-4 with a positive recommendation, and members, Andress, Henninger, Armstead and Respinto voted no.

Commission members again raised several questions about the previously mentioned concerns, but both Final Development Plan items passed contingent upon Landmark Development creating and including the city in an advisory committee to oversee the development plans during the engineering and design process. Landmark Development emphasized their willingness to work with the city and community to address many of the issues raised and offered to create the advisory committee during their presentation at the meeting, although they were not required to do so.

"What we want is the chance to prove how to do this right. That's really all we're saying is, 'Hey, we'll put the extra effort, the extra time, the extra engagement, the dollars, the things that it takes to do this right," said Bob Dunn, president of Landmark Development. "It's a big project by city of Homewood standards. I don't know if it's the biggest, but it's a big project. We're not interested in deviating. I've had a lot of these conversations with people sitting behind me and many others, as has this entire team. Nobody's wrong. A lot of good issues have been put on the table. It's energized us to say, 'Okay, what are we going to do with this? We need time, we need resources, we need engagement,' and I'm confident we will get to outcomes that we can all look at and say we had a hand in doing it right."

These items will now go to council, and the council will cast a final vote to approve or deny the plans.

The commission also approved a resurvey request to re-plat a 1.6-acre subdivision at 1040 Green Springs Highway, comprising five undeveloped lots, which are impacted by topographic and environmental constraints, in order to reduce the width of three of the existing lots from 70 ft. to 55 ft. to facilitate the construction of new, single-family housing.

A request to favorably recommend an amendment to the city's Zoning Ordiance was also passed 9-0. The amendment would alter Article IV District Uses of the city’s Zoning Ordinance to revise and update Section Z and Section GG relating to permitted uses in a PMUD, Planned Mixed-Use District, to include a Food and Beverage drive-thru; said use to be permitted only in Wildwood Centre.

Watch the full meeting below: