Midlothian council approves zoning change, engineering contract, water-deal amendment, public-safety purchases and land buys

The Midlothian City Council approved a series of ordinances, contracts and property purchases at its May 20 meeting, including a zoning amendment for Plan Development (PD) 157, preliminary engineering work for the Taman Water Treatment Plant, an amendment to a wholesale water development agreement, purchases and budget amendments related to police weapons, a small budget appropriation for a parking-lot design, a roof-pitch exception for a single-family house, and three property acquisitions needed for the McAlpin Road project.

Why it matters: Together these votes advance infrastructure and development projects across Midlothian — from neighborhood subdivision design to water-treatment capacity planning and public-safety equipment — and they commit city funds or contractual commitments that will shape near-term construction and service delivery.

Most significant actions

- Zoning amendment: The council voted 4–0 to approve amendments to Plan Development District 157 (Hayes Road area) that reconfigure lot sizes and allow up to 157 lots with modified setbacks and architectural standards. The motion included a condition reducing the allowable percentage of front‑facing garages to 65% (mover: Mayor Pro Tem Whitcliffe; second: Councilman Rogers). The applicant, represented by Terry Weaver, said the change responds to the city’s current comprehensive plan and includes preserved open space and a concrete trail connection to nearby Lago Vista.

- Water‑treatment engineering contract: The council approved a professional services agreement with Freese and Nichols for preliminary engineering and design services at the Taman Water Treatment Plant in an amount not to exceed $996,400 (vote 5–0). The work will produce roughly 25% design documents to evaluate plant upgrades that could increase capacity (presented by city staff).

- Wholesale water / development agreement amendment: Council authorized a first amendment to the earlier consent and development agreement involving Circle S Midlothian LLC and related entities, increasing the wholesale volume under the agreement to as much as 7,640,000 gallons per day and adjusting lot counts within the Midlothian portion of the project (vote 5–0). The amendment is tied to a wholesale/retail arrangement with the retail provider referenced in the discussion (transcript reference: Mountain Peak); the approvals are conditioned on raw water availability and contractual terms with the retail provider.

- Public‑safety equipment and related budget ordinance: Council approved purchase of new sidearms with red‑dot optics (amount not to exceed $66,488.49) paid from federal forfeiture funds (vote 5–0). Separately, council approved an ordinance to appropriate up to $80,744 from the unreserved general fund balance to buy approximately 16 patrol rifles, eight shotguns and associated hardware and optics; that purchase is structured to be repaid by participating officers through payroll deductions (vote 5–0).

- Roof‑pitch exemption: Council granted an exception to Zoning Ordinance section 3.5501 to allow a primary roof pitch below the 8:12 minimum for a single‑family home at 3820 Mays Court; council approved the exception 4–0. The applicant provided HOA support; staff recommended approval.

- Budget amendment (consent agenda item e): Council approved an ordinance amending the FY24–25 general fund appropriations up to $40,000 from the unreserved fund balance to fund design and sidewalk extensions along Seventh Street (vote on the item after removal from consent: 3–2 to approve that specific ordinance). The consent agenda as presented (with item e removed) had been approved earlier by the council 5–0.

- Property acquisitions for McAlpin Road: Following an executive session, council authorized three separate purchase agreements for small parcels needed for the McAlpin Road project (totaling 0.214, 0.339+0.06, and 0.125 acres respectively), each approved by vote 5–0. The motions authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute closing documents and specified purchase prices ($49,575; $70,000; $35,000 respectively) plus closing costs.

How the council voted: All items listed above passed; several were unanimous 5–0 votes, with the Seventh Street/parking-lot design budget ordinance passing 3–2 on its individual vote and the PD‑157 zoning change and roof exemption passing 4–0 (two council members recused/stepped out on those two items as noted in the record).

What the city said: City staff described the Taman work as a 10‑month preliminary design effort that will produce 25% design documents; staff said these plans will clarify which plant upgrades would be required to expand capacity. Staff noted the water‑agreement amendment remains contingent on the availability of raw water and further contractual steps with the retail provider. Police leadership described the firearms purchases as funded by federal forfeiture dollars (pistols) and an officer‑purchase program (rifles/shotguns) to provide officers with more accurate or mission‑specific equipment while having officers repay city‑fronted costs over time.

Next steps and timeline: The Freese and Nichols work is expected to produce 25% design in about 10 months; the water‑agreement amendment will require follow‑up contractual work with the retail provider and depends on raw‑water availability; property closings for McAlpin Road will proceed under the city manager’s delegated authority; procurement timelines for the police equipment were not specified beyond council approval.

Votes and motions recorded in the minutes are reflected in the city transcript and minutes.

Ending: The council concluded its business for the evening after the recorded votes and adjourned at approximately 7:41 p.m.