'We've saved the salamanders': Changes made to Samford University's Creekside Development Plan
Developer says new plan will save the salamanders.
Developer says new plan will save the salamanders.
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�
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�