Planning commission gives mixed recommendations on Creekside rezoning and development plans; asks for advisory group

The Homewood Planning Commission on April 2025 voted to forward recommendations on a multi‑phase Creekside mixed‑use project proposed by Landmark Development with Samford University and Johnson Controls, while urging the developer to form a development advisory group to work with the community on habitat, stormwater, traffic and design concerns.

The commission approved the rezoning and final development plan for the western portion of the project (Creekside West) with mixed votes and forwarded both the Creekside East rezoning and its development plan to city council with positive but split recommendations. Commission members repeatedly emphasized that any commission vote is only a recommendation; final approval will be made by the Homewood City Council at a later public hearing.

Bob Dunn, representing Landmark Development, summarized recent community engagement, said the project team would continue outreach and urged the commission to allow the project to proceed to council so the team can begin engineering work. "What we want is the chance, you know, to prove how to do this right," Dunn said, adding that his team planned a four‑to‑six month process to develop a comprehensive master plan and covenants that would run with the land.

Why it matters: The Creekside project is a multi‑phase, mixed‑use redevelopment that would reshape portions of the Samford University campus edge and adjacent property in Homewood. The commission’s split recommendations mean the proposals will be examined again in a public council process in which commissioners, residents and technical reviewers can press for additional conditions.

Key decisions and votes - Rezoning for Creekside West (case RZ250302): forwarded to city council with a positive recommendation, vote 9–0. - Final development plan — Creekside West (FD250303): forwarded with a positive recommendation, vote 6–3, with the commission also asking that the developer organize a development advisory group and include city participation. - Rezoning for Creekside East (RZ250304): forwarded to city council with a positive recommendation, vote 7–2. - Final development plan — Creekside East (FD250305): forwarded with a positive recommendation, vote 5–4.

What the developer proposed and outstanding concerns Landmark Development presented a packet summarizing community meetings and technical approaches. Dunn said the team has discussed design and engineering tools for stormwater, water quality, and traffic mitigation; presented concepts related to preserving vernal pools and salamander habitat; and described a proposed single taller hotel building and several mid‑rise structures.

On specifics discussed in the meeting, the developer’s submission lists a 150‑foot maximum height for the hotel building (the team estimated that would equate roughly to a 10–12‑story hotel depending on floor‑to‑floor heights) and about 85 feet for several other buildings (roughly a six‑story hotel/structure in hotel floor‑height terms). Dunn said the taller hotel building was proposed to reduce the development footprint where subsurface conditions are challenging. He said the project team is open to agreeing a limit by stories rather than a strict height if that helps reach common ground.

Commissioners and members of the public pressed the developer on habitat impacts (particularly vernal pools and salamander migration), light and sound mitigation for athletic fields, traffic impacts on Lakeshore Drive, and the overall scale of new buildings. Several commissioners urged the developer to consult with local environmental groups such as Friends of Shades Creek and the Alabama Audubon Society and to meet with neighborhood stakeholders before the city council hearing.

What happens next The commission’s votes are recommendations only. Each approved item will be scheduled for a public hearing before the Homewood City Council and the council’s committee process; the developer said that if the council approves the development plan and rezoning, the team intends to spend several months with the advisory group and technical experts to draft recorded covenants, then begin phased design and construction. The developer estimated four to six months to prepare the covenants and about six to eight months from that point to start the first phase of construction, but stressed that timeline depends on council action and subsequent design work.

Ending: The commission asked the developer to broaden outreach and to convene a development advisory group with city participation; commissioners made clear that departures from the approved development plan would require formal return to the commission.