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Heber, Midway and Wasatch County

Great Interest In Preservation Means Plenty Of Work For Midway Open Space Committee

Pure Midway

Midway residents voted to fund a $5 million open space bond last November. The Midway Open Space Committee is now engaging in conversations with those interested in preserving their land.

Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson says that the credit for passing the open space bond belongs to volunteers and members of the Midway Open Space Committee

“What a committee,” Johnson said. “Again, I can't scream loud enough from enough rooftops the level volunteerism and expertise we have in our town. So that committee has probably put in more hours than any committee to date.”

Mayor Johnson says the committee worked many hours to educate the community on the pros and cons of the bond. Now that the bond has passed their work has continued.

“They have worked tirelessly to put together a procedure so that anyone who would like to sell the development rights off their land has to go through the same hoops,” Johnson explained. “It's critical that there is transparency. It's critical that there are very clear procedures and steps to follow no matter who you are. We have received many responses from landowners who are interested in selling their development rights. If we could purchase all of the development rights from the land that we have had applied for, we would acquire about 500 acres. That's pretty exciting in our teeny tiny town.”

Mayor Johnson says that preserving all 500 acres would be well over the five-million-dollars that the city has for open space, so the preserved land will have to go through a vetting process. However, she says that the success of this bond may spur another bond.

KPCW reporter David Boyle covers all things in the Heber Valley as well as sports and breaking news.
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