At a meeting Tuesday, the Heber City Planning Commission found that designs for The View on Main project do meet city code. Because the commission is the final land-use authority for this type of commercial project, according to City Planner Tony Kohler, that decision paves the way for the developer to get a building application.
If built, the buildings will be five-stories high with 116 hotel and condo units on a 3-acre lot between Main Street and Wasatch High School.
“I’ve heard some concerns about the size of the building, and I agree,” Planning Commission Chair Dennis Gunn said. “It is going to change the face of Heber City - it’s five stories. Somewhere along the line, five stories were part of the code, still is, and if we’re going to have that tall of buildings and, we want it at least in the centralized downtown, not out in the outer skirts or anything.”
With the planning commission’s approval, city staff and the developer will work to resolve a handful of outstanding issues with the project. One of those is to ensure people at The View have access to roads connected to the site, including one that the Wasatch County School District owns.
Kohler said if they work through those details, the city’s likely to approve the building application. He said the developer hopes to break ground this summer, but that could take until fall.
Gunn said city decisions about this project weigh competing interests amid the rapid growth demands the area is experiencing.
One of those interests is part of Heber City’s goal to make the downtown more friendly to visitors and businesses. The city established that as a goal in its Envision Heber 2050 master plan.
“It seems that the people are interested in having a walkable downtown and what not,” Gunn said. “You’re going to have to have people in the downtown to support that. So, this building is one way to get more people in the downtown. If they’re living there, obviously, they’re going to be taking advantage of the shops and stuff there.”
In city meetings dating back to October and June 2021, plans presented for The View included a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, gym and spa.
At those meetings, one issue raised was whether state law would bar the property from receiving a liquor license because of its proximity to the school. That didn’t come up in Tuesday’s meeting, and Gunn said it’s still unknown if it will get that permission.
Gunn encouraged members of the public to reach out to him directly if they wish to discuss the project or other matters the planning commission will take up in the future.
For more on the Heber City Planning Commission and to access meeting documents, visit heberut.gov.