After a discussion and a pair of tied votes, the Midlothian Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night ultimately approved a planned development for a property on the south side of West Highland Road and east of Mockingbird Lane.

The development was finally agreed to after a condition was added to extend a stub-out on the south side of the subdivision.

The undeveloped 51-acre tract was rezoned from Agricultural to a planned development for single-family uses. The proposal, which is known as Highland Village, includes 53 single-family lots and two open lots, and includes a pond with an aerator fountain and a trail around it. A homeowners’ association will maintain open spaces.

Lots will range from between o.6 acres to one acre in size, which meets the city’s future land use plan for the area. However, the development only meets five secondary amenities required by the city, with a minimum of six needed to satisfy city code.

Applicant Chris Oliver told the commission that the subdivision will have a curb and gutter street design, but no sidewalks are planned. City Attorney Kevin Laughlin said a waiver can be granted for lack of sidewalks at a later date.

Planning director Mary Elliott told the commission that connectivity is a big concern with the city, and waiving sidewalk requirements would result in numerous gaps in the system.

Another connectivity issue that was raised was a stub-out to the south, which was not extended to connect to an adjacent subdivision on Hayfield Road. Oliver said the stub-out was kept at the request of residents of that subdivision, and there are three other points of access already.

An initial motion to deny the development ended in a 3-3 tie and failed, and a second motion to approve as presented also ended in a 3-3 deadlock. Finally, the third time was the charm as commissioner Ron Bland made a motion to approve with the added stipulation that the stub-out be extended, and it passed with a 5-1 vote.

The matter will go before the Midlothian City Council for final approval at a future date.

In other business, the commission approved an amendment to the 414-acre Bluebonnet Hills development to change the phasing of four amenity centers to be built, with the first amenity center to be complete by October 2029.

Also, a detailed site plan was approved for a new State Farm office on the south side of Hawkins Run Road, east of FM 663.