Midway City Council will consider pledging 1,000,000 to the Albert Kohler Legacy Farm conservation project on Tuesday. The council will consider issuing the five-million-open space bond passed by residents in 2018.
Midway City Council organized an Open Space Committee and established a criterion for participation in order to help gather information from interested landowners after the open space bond passed in November 2018. At the March 3rd meeting the council will hold a public hearing asking if they should use 1/5 of the money to prevent future development on 60 acres of the Kohler Dairy farm.
Owners of the Kohler Dairy farm approached Utah Open Lands, a nonprofit land conservancy group, about gathering funds to buy the development rights off of the land. Utah Open Lands Executive Director Wendy Fisher says that will cost around $7,000,000. So far, the organization have secured over three million dollars from national and state grants.
“What we're hoping to do is get a little bit of support from Midway, hopefully some support from Wasatch County as they both have open space bonds,” Fisher continued. “Then raise the rest of the dollars needed in order to ensure the permanent protection of that really iconic piece of property that everybody sees as they come into Midway.”
The entire project is 102 acres of ground, with around 60 acres in the Midway City annexation area and the other 42 in Wasatch County’s north fields. Current zoning on the city acres could result in as many as 75 dwellings if the land was developed. The project hopes to leverage funds from both Midway and Wasatch County.
The farm is a functional dairy that provides products to over a dozen local businesses. Fisher says the landowner’s commitment to conservation along with the conservation easement together can help preserve the rural character of Midway.
“This property also provides not just a scenic view shed, but it's a place that becomes a destination for a lot of people coming up to Midway because of the Heber Valley artisan cheese that they produce,” Fisher explained. “We really think that this is a project that is something for the community. Fundamentally there are only two options here; either it gets developed, or it gets protected.”
Fisher says that securing funds from Midway would also be very helpful when the organization goes to other potential donors to show the local buy-in with the project.
“Because we've been able to get other sources of funding that hopefully we can replicate this model in preserving other landscapes as well,” Fisher said. “So, that is another reason that we feel that right now this is a vital project to move forward towards protection.”
At the meeting Midway City Council will also hold public hearings regarding the authorization of the five-million-dollar open space resolution, and a public hearing regarding a conditional use permit for a mixed use development located near Main St and 580 East and a master plan development located near 1300 North Canyon View Drive.
