A conceptual plan for a redesign of Heritage Park downtown drew nearly an hour of discussion Tuesday night, before the Midlothian City Council tabled the plan until a later date so that more feedback from the public could be received.
“I believe you can build a city one time, so you better build it right,” Mayor Justin Coffman said. “Even if that means we need to push it out several years or phase it out. The residents of Midlothian deserve quality, and we need to reflect that quality.”
Although a number of workshops, public committee meetings and community surveys have been held, councilmembers still expressed concern that not enough public input went into the plan. Councilmember Allen Moorman advocated for the city Park Board to be more involved in the process. Councilmember Mike Rodgers added that he’s heard complaints from a large number of citizens.
Rodgers also opposed the plan based on availability of parking. He said the city would only see a net gain of 17 spots once the existing spots at the old City Hall are removed to make way for the park. Large events downtown could result in cars spilling into residential areas as downtown becomes a destination, Rodgers said.
Financing the project was also a topic of discussion, but the need to do so would be many months down the road, Coffman pointed out, with required engineering that could be done in phases.
Coffman recommended going back to the public with an open house, taking citizen input into a joint meeting with the Park Board, and coming up with a plan with less controversy.
“This is the easy part,” Coffman said. “You want to talk about funding, that’s the hard part.”
Henry Parker, a project manager with the Parkhill firm, presented the plan to councilmembers. The plan incorporates the space between the new City Hall, the existing Heritage Park, and the Back Alley Plaza between 8th and 10th Streets.
The plan includes a half-acre “great lawn” with a stage on the north end. The Larkin Newton cabin would remain at its present location. Other features include a smaller “game lawn,” a pair of tree groves and about 191 added parking spaces. Avenue F, which runs east-west, would be permanently closed.
The Back Alley Plaza would have a railroad-inspired theme, with spaces for food trucks. The pedestrian crossing at the railroad would be accessible and “wider than a typical sidewalk,” Parker told councilmembers.
All members of the City Council were present.
