The Views on Main is a proposed five-story condo hotel development with 196 suites, plus restaurants and retail on the first floor. It’s planned for construction at 825 South Main Street in Heber, just west of Wasatch High School.
The project was largely approved by the planning commission in August 2021, but that was before the city created a master transportation plan to improve downtown traffic flow. Now, Heber leaders and the developers are working on a revised development agreement that will meet both sides’ needs.
During the Heber City Council work session Feb. 18, city planner Tony Kohler explained Heber wants to ensure roads are constructed around the proposed development. But securing the right to build them has proven challenging.
“Construction and dedication of 100 East – as much as we want that to happen, that is, significantly, on the school district’s property,” he said. “The second one is 860 South. We do have the ability to do most of that, and we’ll dig into details there, but we have had an adjoining property owner that was going to participate that recently backed out.”
City engineer Russ Funk said road plans have shifted slightly based on discussions with nearby property owners.
“Even though it doesn’t give us everything we want right now, it is a step in the right direction, and it does get us moving with our master plan,” he said.
He said the city will continue working with those property owners as construction progresses.
Staff also discussed how to manage additional traffic generated by the project.
Funk said the Views on Main project is not expected to add so much traffic that state transportation officials would require Heber to add a stop light. But he suggested the city should require a signal there anyway, for better traffic flow and improved safety.
“When this intersection and road is built, I am proposing and suggesting that we have this signal built and be a requirement of this project,” he said.
He said for students crossing Main, a signal would be safer than a pedestrian flashing light like the one a couple of blocks north. The developer will pay 25% of the cost of the traffic light.
Councilmember Yvonne Barney said she also wanted to ensure student safety during construction.
“We’ve already had one student hit simply by someone turning onto Main Street and not seeing that student as they tried to go across,” she said. “So, I’m wondering how we will protect the students while construction is being done in that area so close to the school.”
The developers assured her construction vehicles would be instructed not to access the site on the roads students use.
Phase one of construction, which is mostly approved, includes 116 suites and two access points for the site. The planning commission recommended a third along 790 South, but the road is owned by the Wasatch County School District, which is unwilling to grant that access.
The second phase will add another 80 condos and construction of 860 South.
