Rendering courtesy of Mike Greenlee.
A site plan for a proposed development called Griffin Park at Eagle Point.
As of May 1, Eagle Point residents are no longer able to hear the swing of a golf club from their backyards. The Eagle Point Golf Club has closed, and it is most likely going to be the site of a few hundred new homes.
So far, reaction from the neighborhood has been negative.
“It’s just a bad situation for those of us that have played out there for years,” said 16-year Eagle Point resident Mike Greenlee, who played Eagle Point multiple times per week. “It’s going to be a real loss for the community, I think.”
Highpointe Properties has the golf course under contract and submitted a rezoning request to Shelby County Development Services on March 31. According to Development Services Manager Chad Scroggins, the course is already zoned R-1 for single-family housing and the clubhouse property is zoned R-5 for multifamily housing. This means a developer can already build housing on the Eagle Point course as long as it fits within those zoning requirements.
Connor Farmer of Highpointe Properties said that the rezoning request would zone the entire property for single-family homes, as Highpointe does not want to build apartments. He did not give further details about the plans for the property or a timeline for finalizing the sale and beginning development.
“The golf course was going to be sold one way or another,” Farmer said. “Somebody was going to develop it, we’re glad that it’s going to be us.”
Highpointe and the Eagle Point homeowners association held a neighborhood meeting to discuss the plans in early April.
“I think we’ll have their support once they understand what we want to do,” Farmer said.
Greenlee shared a copy of the site plan shown to Eagle Point residents. The new development, called Griffin Park at Eagle Point, includes about 300 homes in total with community parks and green spaces built around the existing water features on the course.
The reasons for Eagle Point’s closure and sale are unclear, as General Manager Steve Barrentine and Superintendent Dennis Parker did not respond to attempts to contact them. Greenlee, who used to work at the golf club, said he heard that the course was barely breaking even and needed some regular repairs, but he is unsure if that was the cause. Eagle Point HOA President Raymond Newton said he began hearing rumors of the closure in February and first heard about Highpointe making an offer in March.
Newton said more neighborhood meetings have been scheduled to hear from the developers, traffic engineers and the residents about their concerns and the development’s potential impact. He said so far he has heard “various responses” from residents about the plans.
“The HOA Board is working diligently with Eagle Point homeowners to protect home values, the safety of our neighbors and the beauty of our community,” Newton said.
Home values are a concern for some, as Greenlee pointed out that many people moved to Eagle Point because the golf course was the “center point.”
“I hate it for people that bought lots and built houses along the golf course,” said Gary Young, who lives in the area and golfs with Greenlee.
Regular golfers at Eagle Point are also losing their closest public course. Oak Mountain State Park and Ballantrae courses, both in Pelham, are the next closest, or Eagle Point golfers could choose to go to Robert Trent Jones at Oxmoor Valley or Highland Park Golf Course closer to downtown Birmingham. Greenlee said he knows several golfers who only play at Eagle Point.
“I won’t play as much ... just because I’m not going to do that much travel,” Greenlee said. “We don’t really know what we’re going to do, those of us that play.”
Several hundred new cars on the roads is also a concern for the neighborhood. Greenlee said that congestion is already a problem in the neighborhood, as the main access point on U.S. 280 does not have a traffic light. Eagle Point also connects to Highway 119 and Doug Baker Boulevard.
“Already it’s hard to get in and out of here, and that’s going to be our biggest concern,” Greenlee said.
“Our concern is how are they going to get all these people in and out of there in a safe manner.”
Fifteen-year resident Martha Roberson agreed, adding that new homes create the possibility of strain on local classrooms as well as the roads.
“We have great schools right now. That many new homes would cramp classrooms, and limit the teachers’ ability to focus on individual students,” Roberson said.
The county recognizes the potential for traffic challenges. Scroggins said that a traffic study must be completed as part of Highpointe’s rezoning request. Skipper Consulting is performing the study, and Darrell Skipper said work has begun but he does not have further details.
Scroggins said the study must be completed and reviewed before the rezoning request is sent to the Shelby County Planning Commission, which will likely be in June. Farmer said he hopes residents will attend the commission meeting in support of the Highpointe proposal, since it would remove the possibility of apartments being built there.
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