Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves Thomas Trail Phase 2 rezoning with amenity buildout requirement
Summary
Midlothian council approved rezoning for Thomas Trail Phase 2 (184 lots) after a multi-hour hearing and public comment; approval includes a condition that HOA amenities be completed by the 30th building permit.
The Midlothian City Council voted 5-1 on Tuesday to approve a planned-development rezoning for Thomas Trail Phase 2, a single-family subdivision of 84 lots on about 81.5 acres north of Farm-to-Market 663 and Tower Road.
The developer, Bloomfield Homes, reduced the project’s density from earlier versions and increased average lot sizes; the approved plan features a mix of half-acre lots and 10,400-square-foot lots, a minimum home size of 2,000 square feet, and neighborhood open-space areas and themed amenity parcels. The council’s approval includes a stipulation added during the meeting that makes the developer build the subdivision amenities (open space, playgrounds, dog park and planned HOA features) before the 30th building permit is issued.
The public hearing drew several neighbors and property owners. Ivana Thomas, the property owner whose land is being developed, told the council the family had worked with Bloomfield and supported the plan as a way to responsibly transfer the family property. “This proposal offers a responsible and forward-looking way to carry that legacy into the future,” she said during public comments.
Other speakers, including nearby residents and Rosebud-area homeowners, registered concerns about density and traffic. Opponents noted that parts of the site fall in the city’s Country Module future land-use designation, which calls for much lower density; staff recommended denial because the proposed density exceeded the Future Land Use Plan’s recommendations and because of a long straight street on the east side of the development. Supporters, including nearby homeowners who spoke at the meeting, said Bloomfield had modified plans and had addressed many concerns.
Developer representatives said they had reduced density since the project’s earlier iteration and added larger lots along Tower Road; they also described coordinated infrastructure work including a warranted traffic signal at Tower Road and FM 663 that TxDOT expected to construct within 12 to 18 months. Bloomfield said it would construct sidewalks, perimeter landscaping, and open-space amenities and had agreed with the Phase 1 Thomas Trail HOA on pedestrian connections to Mountain Peak Elementary School.
Council members pressed the developer on amenity timing and stormwater/detention design. City staff and the developer explained that some open-space parcels will serve as dry-play lawn areas that function as detention basins after storms, and that grading and detention design will be addressed during civil plan review. The developer agreed to commit to completing all HOA amenities before issuance of the 30th building permit; council included that commitment in the motion approving the rezoning.
Votes at a glance: the rezoning and planned-development ordinance passed 5-1. The council’s motion included amended PD language to reflect the site plan exhibits and the amenity completion trigger.
Why it matters: The approval clears the way for a new single-family neighborhood that will add housing stock along Tower Road and establishes a council precedent on tying amenities to a specific building-permit threshold rather than to final build-out.
Next steps: The developer will finalize construction plans and civil engineering; staff will require the agreed amenity completion before issuance of the 30th building permit and will monitor grading/detention and sidewalk connections to the school.
