A small group of Heber residents filed a referendum petition last month over the future of the North Village, around 95 acres of land at the intersection of U.S. 40 and River Road.
The residents wanted to undo the Heber City Council’s decision in late December 2024 to annex the land.
A month later, on Jan. 21, the council voted 4-1 to approve plans for two developments, Crossings and Harvest Village. Housing, hotels and recreation amenities will be constructed there.
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Heber City leaders told KPCW the referendum cannot proceed.
“The Utah State Legislature has some very specific requirements with regard to referendums of this nature,” public information officer Ryan Bunnell said. “Technically, Heber City Council accepted the annexation petition on Dec. 17. Dec. 17 is when the five-day period for submittal of referendum needed to be filed.”
He said when the city attorney took a close look at state law, he determined the petitioners missed the deadline to ask for a referendum.
The citizens argued the timeline started in January, since the city council made the annexation contingent upon approving the master development agreements. City leaders disagreed.
Referendum petition organizers didn’t immediately respond to KPCW’s requests for comment Thursday.
Bunnell said the city was still glad to see residents get involved and exercise their rights.
Plans for the North Village will reshape the northern entrance to Heber City. Councilmembers who voted in favor of the plans said they supported the annexation and development agreements because it gives the city a say in what kind of growth will be constructed there.
They also said months of negotiations with the developers resulted in plans that better matched the community, with more open space and stronger affordable housing requirements. Both developments will include over 50% open space.
City leaders who opposed the plans, meanwhile, said they didn’t agree with the amount of density granted for the communities.
The land is part of the county’s North Village Overlay Zone, so it has long been envisioned as a spot for new growth to be constructed.
