As construction on its school facilities progresses, MTech has applied to be annexed into Heber City. The city planning commission discussed the annexation Tuesday, June 25.
According to MTech Vice President of Administrative Services Kirt Michaelis, the college is expected to serve about 1,100 students, but only a few hundred would be on campus at any given time.
“When we’re talking about 1,100 students, that’s throughout the day,” he said. “That’s probably split into four groups of 200 to 300 students at any one time.”
Ross Hansen, a senior staff engineer for the city, told the planning commission his main hesitation is about how to manage traffic on state Route 113, used to access both the high school and the technical college.
“We’ve got the whole issue of whether or not there should be a roundabout right there coming out of that high school road, or a traffic light,” he said. “So there’s quite a few things that cause me some concern.”
Planning commissioner Tori Broughton asked about transportation alternatives to mitigate traffic.
“Is there an opportunity for an alternate way for students to get from the current high school to this area other than each individually driving a vehicle?” she asked.
Michaelis said he can explore options for busing or other solutions to transport high schoolers with the school district.
Both adults and high school students aged 16 and older can take classes at MTech. The college offers a range of courses to prepare students for careers in fields from nursing to cosmetology to welding.
“Really all we do is hands-on training,” Michaelis said. “Our programs are a year or less, typically. You know, we’re doing your auto technicians, your diesel techs, medical assistants – so we have a pretty broad spectrum of what we’re offering to students.”
The campus is under construction on a 10-acre property at 800 West 100 South in Heber. It will join MTech’s existing campuses in Lehi, Provo, Orem and Spanish Fork, which have more than 6,000 students.
The planning commission unanimously approved MTech’s petition for annexation. The next steps in the annexation process include a public hearing and a master development agreement. It could take several months before the annexation is finalized.
