Council authorizes negotiation of development agreement for Bluemont Hills infrastructure reimbursements

Midlothian City Council authorized the city manager to negotiate a development agreement with the Bluemont Hills developer group (Folsom Midlothian Partners LP and related parties) to document infrastructure responsibilities and reimbursements tied to the Luman and Hills MMD project area.

Staff said the proposed development agreement would reimburse developer-built off-site improvements — including a large water transmission main (a 30–36-inch line) and four-lane thoroughfare construction with bridge work — through impact-fee credits and periodic (quarterly) reimbursements once the city accepts the improvements. The developer had sought to avoid being required to extend Quarry Road beyond a specified floodplain boundary; staff said that limitation is reflected in the proposed agreement’s exhibit.

The council previously passed a resolution of support for Luman and Hills and the related mixed-master development (MMD); the current authorization allows staff to negotiate terms that would allocate reimbursement through impact fees and other developer-city arrangements. Staff noted the legislative approval and zoning actions for the project are advancing; the council voted 4-2 in favor of authorizing the negotiation.

Why it matters: The agreement would commit the city to a reimbursement framework for substantial off-site infrastructure that supports large-scale development in the northwest sector of the city; those capital upgrades include major roadway and water-transmission capacity that benefit both the development and long-term city needs.

Next steps: Staff will negotiate the agreement’s terms and return to council for final approval; the agreement will include exhibits defining the reimbursable improvements, the city-accepted standards for those improvements, and the schedule of reimbursements tied to acceptance and impact-fee availability.