Five years ago, Heber City purchased 15 acres of farmland from the Duke family with the stated intent to use the property as an expansion of the cemetery, though the terms of the sale did not bind the city to any particular use. Heber City then leased the land back to the family so they could continue to farm it. That lease was set to expire July 20.
On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to approve a new lease for another five years under the same terms and conditions as the previous one. Under those terms, the Duke family would pay $800 a year to the city, while the city could terminate the lease early if it chose to develop at least 4 acres as a cemetery or open space.
Councilmember Ryan Stack's yes vote was a reluctant one. He proposed a longer term for the lease, 6 acres for the city’s early termination threshold, and an agreement that the city would refrain from any non-park development on the property if it does pull the trigger on that escape clause. Regardless, Stack told KPCW the renewal was a "win-win" for both parties.
"It allows the lessee to continue to farm the property, and it allows the city to have the 15 acres be maintained without having to pay for that maintenance on an ongoing basis," he said.
The renewal comes after city officials floated the idea of using the property to develop affordable workforce housing in a May 2 city council meeting. That drew the ire of the Duke family and their neighbors, who packed the June 6 city council meeting and pleaded with the city not to entertain the idea.
Councilmember Rachel Kahler told KPCW she believed the current council now has "no appetite" to develop housing on the property. But the council also can't "handcuff" future councils on what to do with the property after the new lease is up. And she didn’t anticipate the city would develop the park in the interim.
"I don't know if there is a need to turn the Duke farm into a park within the next five years because we do have other parks that are lined up that are prioritized higher."
The city’s parks master plan identifies the property as a future park. But a staff report on the ordinance said there are currently "no initiatives or budget" for such a project.