Homewood's Planning Commission has recommended approval of Samford University's proposed 280-space parking lot along Shelburne Lane, setting up a City Council vote even as nearby residents warn of flooding, tree loss, noise and traffic dangers. The project would rise where two fraternity houses and the Air Force ROTC training facility now sit near Saulter Road, eliminating roughly 30 student beds in the process.
A Divided Vote Sends the Plan to Council
According to AL.com, commissioner Jeff Underwood cast the sole dissenting vote against the proposal, arguing instead that the land could be preserved as a permanent conservation easement. The recommendation now moves to the Homewood City Council for a final vote, though the record does not show when that vote will happen or how it will turn out. Accounts of the meeting date differ: the Homewood Star reported a 6-1 vote on a Tuesday and dated its story Nov. 4, while the City of Homewood's own posted account of the commission's recommendation is dated Nov. 3.
Colin Coyne represented Samford University at the meeting, and civil engineer Caleb Martin presented the project plans to the commission, per AL.com. Coyne told commissioners, as reported by the Homewood Star, that Samford had originally studied a larger roughly 320-space version of the lot before scaling it back to the 280 spaces now proposed. The university says the lot is needed to resolve a parking overflow problem on campus and would serve students who already live in that part of campus rather than commuters driving in each day.
Stormwater, Trees and Light Poles at the Center of the Debate
Colony Circle resident Dan Carter told the commission the street already experiences severe flooding during heavy rains, and he estimated construction could remove between 50 and 100 trees taller than 50 feet, according to AL.com. Carter also argued that new landscaping cannot replace the sound and sight barriers provided by the historic tree canopy now standing between the neighborhood and campus.
Martin countered that the plan includes several retaining walls meant to preserve a buffer zone between the lot and Saulter Road, saying they would protect the natural buffer and prevent soil erosion. He also said post-development runoff would actually be lower than current levels, with water piped to an underground detention system beneath the lower lot that collects rainwater and releases it into the city drainage system at a controlled rate — more slowly than it flows downhill today, as city code requires, the engineer told the Homewood Star. The design also calls for 15-foot light poles instead of the usual 30-foot fixtures, with Samford saying all lot traffic would be routed through the front of campus on Lakeshore Drive rather than through the neighborhood.
Noise, Safety and Money Questions From Residents
Resident Kim Skelton raised concerns that noise from 280 vehicles would disrupt the neighborhood, citing car alarms, headlights and late-night student voices as disruptions she feared the lot would bring, AL.com reported. Skelton also said residents had repeatedly contacted the university about a leaning tree before it eventually fell onto a passing vehicle. At the public hearing, Samford student Miriam Tate asked whether the multi-million-dollar project would increase student tuition; a university representative identified as Klein said the project is funded through general university finances and would not affect tuition rates.
The Homewood Star reported that seven people spoke during the public hearing and that the commission had received about 13 letters and emails on the proposal. Commissioners asked Samford to add more buffering at the western end of the lower lot before the matter reaches the City Council, the outlet noted.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Campus Expansion
The parking lot fight follows closely on the heels of another contested Samford expansion. The university's revised South Campus plan called for two six-story student housing buildings on about 27 acres near its existing track and soccer facilities, according to ABC 3340. That plan received a unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission in August, and at an Oct. 12 City Council hearing, no one spoke in opposition, the station reported. The council was scheduled to consider final approval of that project on Oct. 26.
