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'We've saved the salamanders': Changes made to Samford University's Creekside Development Plan

Developer says new plan will save the salamanders.

'We've saved the salamanders': Changes made to Samford University's Creekside Development Plan

Developer says new plan will save the salamanders.

COMING UP TONIGHT AT TEN. BIG CHANGES TO A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT SAMFORD UNIVERSITY. THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT AND PROJECT DEVELOPER MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY INPUT ON THE ORIGINAL PLANS. 米兰体育 13 LISA CRANE WAS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND HAS DETAILS. UNDER THE REVISED PLAN FOR THE CREEKSIDE DISTRICT HERE AT SAMFORD UNIVERSITY, THE SOCCER TRACK COMPLEX HERE WOULD DISAPPEAR AND IN ITS PLACE, RESTAURANTS, SHOPS, AND A HOTEL. BUT THE BIG CHANGE IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT. THAT AREA WILL REMAIN LARGELY UNTOUCHED BECAUSE THIS IS THE AREA AROUND SHADES CREEK, AND IT鈥橲 CRITICAL SALAMANDER HABITAT, AND MANY HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT HIGH DENSITY CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA WOULD DO TO THE VARIOUS SALAMANDER SPECIES. THIS TRULY IS A CASE WHERE THERE WAS A CONCERN, AS IT RELATED TO THE HABITAT, AND I THINK WE CAN STAND UP NOW AND VERY CONFIDENTLY SAY WE鈥橵E SAVED THE SALAMANDERS. THE THE CHANGES DON鈥橳 ADDRESS OTHER CONCERNS, THOUGH, LIKE THOSE FROM NEARBY RESIDENTS. THEY鈥橰E WORRIED ABOUT THE NOISE AND LIGHTS THAT WILL CREEP INTO THEIR YARDS AND HOMES. I REALLY WANT TO SEE THEM GROW BECAUSE IT鈥橲 A FINE INSTITUTION, BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ARE IN A FAIRLY HEAVILY POPULATED RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY. THEY鈥橰E NOT A COMMERCIAL ENTITY IN A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. THE DEVELOPER SAYS THEY WANT TO WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE THIS PROJECT BENEFIT ALL THE COMMUNITY. THEY鈥橰E ALSO IN TALKS WITH THE CITY OF HOMEWOOD TO MOVE AND REBUILD THE SAMFORD TRACK SOCCER COMPLEX TO THE HOMEWOOD SOCCER PARK NEAR COLUMBIANA ROAD AND CREATE AN ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY, LOCAL SCHOOLS AND SAMFORD. THIS WILL BE THE PROJECT THAT DEFINES THE CITY OF HOMEWOOD FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THIS WILL BE THE PLACE THAT RESIDENTS, THAT BUSINESS THAT VISITORS, STUDENTS AND FACULTY THINK OF WHEN THEY THINK OF HOMEWOOD AND S
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'We've saved the salamanders': Changes made to Samford University's Creekside Development Plan

Developer says new plan will save the salamanders.

Big changes are coming to a proposed development at Samford University.The university president and project developer made the announcement Monday in response to community input on their original plans.Under the revised plan for the Creekside District at Samford, the track and soccer field would disappear, in its place a hotel, restaurants and shops. However, the big change is on the east side of the proposed development. That area will remain largely untouched because it鈥檚 the area around Shades Creek, which is critical salamander habitat, and many had expressed concerns about what high-density construction in the area would do to the various salamander species.Bob Dunn with Landmark Development said, 鈥淭his truly is a case where there was a concern as it related to this, the habitat. And I think we can stand up now and very confidently say we've saved the salamanders.鈥漈he changes don't address other concerns, like those from nearby residents worried about the noise and lights that will creep into their yards and homes.Steve Kampwerth is the HOA president at Woodridge Place with back-ups to the property.鈥淚 really want to see them grow because it's a fine institution. But they also need to recognize that they are in a fairly heavily populated residential community. They're not a commercial entity in a commercial district," Kampwerth said.The developer said they want to work with stakeholders to make this project benefit the entire community. They're also in talks with the city of Homewood to move and rebuild the Samford track/soccer complex to the Homewood Soccer Park near Columbiana Road and create an asset for the community, local schools and Samford.Dunn said, 鈥淭his will be the project that defines the city of Homewood for generations to come. This will be the place that residents, that business that visitors, students and faculty think of when they think of home at Samford University.鈥�

Big changes are coming to a proposed development at Samford University.

The university president and project developer made the announcement Monday in response to community input on their original plans.

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Under the revised plan for the Creekside District at Samford, the track and soccer field would disappear, in its place a hotel, restaurants and shops. However, the big change is on the east side of the proposed development. That area will remain largely untouched because it鈥檚 the area around Shades Creek, which is critical salamander habitat, and many had expressed concerns about what high-density construction in the area would do to the various salamander species.

Bob Dunn with Landmark Development said, 鈥淭his truly is a case where there was a concern as it related to this, the habitat. And I think we can stand up now and very confidently say we've saved the salamanders.鈥�

The changes don't address other concerns, like those from nearby residents worried about the noise and lights that will creep into their yards and homes.

Steve Kampwerth is the HOA president at Woodridge Place with back-ups to the property.

鈥淚 really want to see them grow because it's a fine institution. But they also need to recognize that they are in a fairly heavily populated residential community. They're not a commercial entity in a commercial district," Kampwerth said.

The developer said they want to work with stakeholders to make this project benefit the entire community. They're also in talks with the city of Homewood to move and rebuild the Samford track/soccer complex to the Homewood Soccer Park near Columbiana Road and create an asset for the community, local schools and Samford.

Dunn said, 鈥淭his will be the project that defines the city of Homewood for generations to come. This will be the place that residents, that business that visitors, students and faculty think of when they think of home at Samford University.鈥�