On an evening in which Wayne Shuffield was sworn in as Midlothian’s newest councilmember, the City Council agreed to move forward with a study on the expansion of Heritage Park during Tuesday night’s regular meeting.

The council unanimously voted to authorize an agreement with Parkhill for the design and costs associated with the Heritage Park expansion and downtown design improvements.

City parks and recreation director Heather Dowell told councilmembers the project includes not only Heritage Park, but the adjacent new City Hall and Library as well as the Back Alley Plaza and storage units located behind the current City Hall in an eight-block area. Property on the opposite side of the railroad line is also an option that could be included.

A conceptual master plan will be created in consultation with councilmembers, city staff and the public, Dowell said. The process should take six months or less, she added.

Answering a question from councilmember Ross Weaver about how the new study relates to the city’s downtown master plan, Dowell said the study does not involve engineering, and the purpose of it is to create a flow to match the rest of downtown.

“It’s looking at the amenities and the big picture that the community wants to see downtown across from their City Hall,” Dowell said. “This is the chance for everyone to decide what that footprint looks like. This plan will identify what fits and what that look is that we want to achieve.”

At the start of the meeting, the votes from the June 15 runoff were canvassed and certified, and Shuffield took the oath of office and was seated. Former councilmember Hud Hartson, who was defeated by Shuffield in the runoff, was honored for his four years of service.

All councilmembers were present.

Other items

• Mayor Justin Coffman issued a proclamation designating National Parks and Recreation Month.
• Councilmembers gave their quarterly liaison reports on boards and commissions.
• The approved consent agenda included previous meeting minutes and authorization of a special event permit for the PlayStation/MLB The Show tournament July 13-14.
• Revisiting a matter tabled from the previous meeting, councilmembers approved an amendment to a planned development in the Westside Preserve subdivision, realigning the orientation of lots away from the U.S. Highway 287 service road and a gas well on the east side of the development.
• The council adopted the 2024-2029 strategic plan for personnel and capital equipment for the city.
• City planning director Mary Elliott presented a list of 11 criteria for the approval of secondary dwellings, with the goal in mind of making approvals administrative rather than requiring a City Council vote. Elliott said the three most important criteria were the size of the secondary structure in relation to the primary structure; a separate septic system for the secondary dwelling; and a separate electrical meter.