Near the Utah Valley University Wasatch Campus, a new development will include apartments, townhomes and commercial space. With some of the homes there designed for college students, the project is called College Downs.
It will be built on about 20 acres, which was formerly controlled by the county. Tuesday evening, the Heber City Council approved the development and simultaneously incorporated that land into city limits. That means the buildings can use city utilities, and there will be fewer homes per acre, compared to what the county was prepared to approve.
Twice already this year, the council voted 3 to 2 against the development, but on Tuesday, Councilmember Rachel Kahler voted in favor of College Downs.
In September and May, she said the plan had too much housing density. She said her vote changed because the new plan included fewer homes.
“I think this is a better move for this development, especially where you are a pivotal part of Highway 40 and access to UVU,” Kahler said.
Ryan Stack and Yvonne Barney again voted no, while Scott Phillips and Mike Johnston voted in favor.
The council approved specific density requirements, but the developer, Wright Development Group, still hasn’t nailed down exactly how many units and how much commercial space there will be.
Heber City Planning Director Tony Kohler estimated it will include around 200 apartments, 20 townhomes and 46,000 square feet of commercial space.
He also said the development agreement requires either 20 apartments, five townhomes or a combination of the two to be sold at affordable housing rates.
Footage of the full meeting in full is available at heberut.gov.
