Samford asks the Homewood Planning Commission at 6 p.m. Tuesday to replace Shelburne Lane and three campus buildings with a 280-space student lot, built spring to fall 2027.

Samford University wants to tear out Shelburne Lane and build a student parking lot of about 280 spaces in its place. The Homewood Planning Commission takes up the request at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at City Hall.

The plan is case AD 26-11-02 on the commission’s Nov. 3 agenda. Samford is asking for an amended development plan for its campus at 800 Lakeshore Drive.

What would be replaced

The lot would sit on the northwestern part of the campus, next to Samford’s Greek Village and south of Saulter Road. A project narrative from Kadre Engineering, filed with the agenda, says the work replaces:

  • the existing Shelburne Lane roadway
  • the Theta Alpha house
  • the Pi Kappa Phi house
  • the Air Force ROTC Detachment building

The narrative does not say where the two houses or the ROTC unit would move.

Why Samford says it needs it

Samford’s student body has grown “over the past few years,” the narrative says. That growth has “resulted in a parking shortage on campus for the entire student body.”

The lot would also serve the Greek Village housing next door, with three pedestrian connections to it and to the rest of the campus.

What the plan promises the neighbors

The engineers list several measures aimed at the homes around the site:

  • an existing vegetated buffer kept “where applicable,” plus new landscape screening
  • screening of the same quality planned for Samford’s North Parking Deck next door
  • security lights that point down and away, with timers and sensors to control brightness
  • stormwater detention and water quality facilities to meet the city’s stormwater ordinance
  • the rear entrance to the campus kept for fire access only, with no construction, student or faculty traffic

When it would be built

Construction would start in early spring 2027 and finish before January 2028, the narrative says.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda

The commission has two other cases:

  • 100 Brookwood Place. Metroplex 100 LLC owns the seven-story office building there. It wants to combine the property into a single lot so the building can be sold as office condominium units. Its narrative says there is no change to the building’s use, footprint, parking or zoning. The building is near Brookwood Village.
  • A covered deck in the South Wood subdivision. A homeowner on South Pointe Drive asks to amend the subdivision’s final development plan for a 10.4-by-19-foot screened deck, 7.2 feet from the side property line.

What it means for you

  • To go: the meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council Chambers, on the second floor of City Hall, 2850 19th St. S. Commission members hold a short work session at 5:30 p.m., which the public can watch but not speak at.
  • To comment: speak in person at the public hearing. Written comments go to the city’s Engineering and Zoning Department by email or by hand on the fourth floor of City Hall. The agenda says to include the address or case number and send them at least 24 hours before the meeting. Questions: (205) 332-6800.
  • To watch: the city’s live stream carries the meeting, but comments cannot be made through it.
  • Tuesday is also Election Day. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; see our voting page.

This is Samford’s second campus plan before the city this fall. The City Council gave final approval Oct. 26 to two South Campus student housing buildings; read how that vote went. Our building permits and zoning page explains how a plan moves through the city.

We will report the commission’s decision.