The Celebration workforce housing development, if approved and funded, would include 230 apartments and an 89-unit “affordable hotel” on land near Wasatch High School.
At the Heber City Council meeting Oct. 9, developer Russ Watts told leaders his project is in response to the housing shortage for essential workers in the valley.
“Really, our goal is to provide housing for the first responders and all the entities in the city where they just can’t get housing at this point, based on affordability,” he said.
He said the Heber Valley Hospital, the Wasatch County School District, the Heber City Police Department and the Wasatch Fire District are all in need of housing.
He envisions creating a master lease program, where different entities reserve a certain number of units to rent to employees. He said that would ensure the housing is truly for local workers.
“The school district has asked that they reserve 50 units,” he said. “They’re in dire need of units for their people.”
Celebration is envisioned as a development of rental units, not for-sale homes.
Phase one would include 142 units of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, plus parking to be shared with the school district.
The development would have community gathering spaces like fire pits, a pavilion, a community garden and pickleball courts.
But financing the project is a challenge. Watts said for phase one alone, the impact fees would be over $3 million. Those are one-time costs to cover infrastructure needs, like water supply and road improvements.
Without financial support, Watts says the project won’t be feasible.
That’s where Heber City comes in.
Watts asked the city to consider helping finance the impact fees over a 15-year period. He’s also looking for other grants and loans.
Jason Glidden, executive director of the Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, said it makes sense for Heber to invest in the project – and quickly.
“I know that the property owner has probably been approached by several other commercial interests, let’s just put it that way, so we don’t want to lose on an opportunity for a really great piece of property, in my opinion,” he said.
The impact fees work out to about $22,000 per unit. Glidden said that’s a bargain for the city; in July, he estimated the city would need much more per unit to construct its own affordable housing.
“If you think back to what you just received in your in-lieu fees, it’s actually doing pretty well,” he said.
The council discussed whether Heber City could somehow share the impact fees with the Wasatch County Housing Authority.
Celebration residences would be designated for people earning between 60% and 80% of Wasatch County’s area median income.
For one person, that’s between roughly $57,000 and $76,000 per year. For a family of four, an annual income between $82,000 and $109,000 would qualify.
No decisions were made Tuesday. City staff will look at the project’s water needs and make suggestions to the council for further discussion.
Heber’s planning commission recommended approving the project in August 2023.
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