Wasatch County residents take fierce pride in the North Fields, the farmland between Midway and Heber that stretches north to River Road. Locals say it’s the entrance to the Heber Valley, and many call it the “crown jewel” of the county.
But major growth in the valley means the future of the land is uncertain. Numerous groups are vying to define the land’s future, whether as open space or as the site of new development.
The Utah Department of Transportation is evaluating five possible routes for a bypass meant to reroute traffic away from Heber’s Main Street. Two of those would go through the North Fields to the intersection of U.S. 40 and River Road. The others would connect to U.S. 40 closer to downtown Heber.
Project manager Craig Hancock told the Heber City Council Tuesday, Oct. 1, it’s “highly unlikely” UDOT will announce the route by April 2025.
Many residents have spoken in favor of placing the land under a conservation easement.
And some North Fields landowners have banded together to apply for incorporation as a new town they’d call River View.
At the Heber City Council meeting Tuesday, Mark Wilson, the primary sponsor of the application, said one explicit purpose of the proposed town is to have a say in the bypass process.
“We want to have a seat at the table,” he said. “There’s impacts coming to us: the bypass road, the storm drain water – several issues, and we want to be at the table so we can be treated fairly.”
He said he and his neighbors want to protect the valley’s water supply.
But UDOT and Wilson’s coalition aren’t the only groups who want to decide what happens on the land. Developers have applied to annex 139.2 acres into Heber City, where they plan to build hundreds of condos and hotel rooms, plus amenities like a sled hill and ice-skating ribbon.
The city council is generally supportive of the proposal, though leaders worry the plans could clash with the yet-to-be-announced bypass route.
But Heber residents who attended Tuesday’s council meeting were less enthusiastic. More than a dozen people commented on the proposed annexation, most of whom say they don’t support the development.
Di Ann Duke Turner shared a story about when her son arrived home from his mission.
“He settled back in his seat and he says, ‘I’m safe. I’m home. I’m safe at last.’ Later, I asked him about that, and he said, ‘I felt like when I came into this valley, it gave me a nice big hug,’” she said. “I’m sorry to tell all you developers, but you’ve taken all of our hugs away.”
Turner said there’s too much growth in the Heber Valley.
“Every day, I talk to somebody and I tell them I’m from Heber,” she said. “They say, can’t stand to go to Heber anymore – they’ve peopled it. They’ve peopled it.”
She’s not the only one who feels that way.
David Anderson said he’s worried about traffic at the intersection of U.S. 40 and River Road. And he’s concerned if his property is annexed into Heber, his taxes will go up.
“I don’t want the annexation to happen,” he told the council.
“Does anybody?” someone called from the crowd.
And Mark Blosil said he wants to see developers reined in.
“I had to get a chuckle from the gentleman for Harvest [Village] telling me his purpose was to create memories and s’mores for people,” he said. “But I’ve got a phone for memories, and I can create my own s’mores, so I don’t need some hideous development to see as I come back from Park City into this beautiful valley.”
The city council hasn’t made any decisions about the annexation yet.