The project, known as Wasatch Highlands, would transform the land between Red Ledges and Wolf Creek Ranch.
It includes about 720 acres of state-owned land, plus 3,500 acres owned by the Christensen family. Philo Development is partnering with the landowners on the proposed project.
The developers want to annex into Heber City, but to do so, Heber first needs to amend the boundaries of its expansion map. That process is getting underway, but county leaders are urging the city to proceed carefully.
The land is currently part of the preservation zone, with only one home permitted for every 160 acres.
If the properties become part of Heber City, Wasatch Highlands could add thousands of homes to the area, plus shopping and other amenities.
The process of amending the annexation map began at a Heber City planning commission meeting earlier this month, Oct. 22, where developers shared their vision for the land, which they described as an “architect and engineer’s dream.”
“There’s really not much left to develop, and frankly, we represent a large portion of that,” Philo Development partner Greg Whitehead said.
He said his team is eager to preserve the natural beauty of the landscape.
“If I'm out walking with my children and we see a moose or we see an elk or a deer or something, I mean, that's an amenity in and of itself, and we want to capture that,” he said. “So, we're doing our best to make this project financially feasible but also sustainable with the environment and the surroundings, and really make it a win-win with the community.”
He said about half of the acreage will be public open space, including walking and mountain biking trails.
There will be a mix of detached single-family homes, townhomes, and commercial spaces in the developed areas. Whitehead said he also envisions fire and police stations and municipal buildings in the development. He said the non-residential spaces will help mitigate the traffic impact of the growth.
“The main reason why we want to have commercial up in this area is we want to keep people up here,” he said. “If we can lower the amount of trips that have to go down and into the city center of Heber, that is a lot of traffic that gets reduced off the roads.”
Whitehead also said a private water owner has agreed to provide enough water for the project.
But Wasatch County leaders are skeptical that the development is wise.
County planning director Doug Smith told the Heber planning commission the roads aren’t ready to accommodate the traffic that would come with the homes. He also voiced concerns about sewer and water utilities reaching the proposed development.
“We hope that you make some very deliberate decisions on this and look at the issues,” he said. “[We’re] worried that a project like this, if not done properly, and then the capacity for the roads not thought of properly, you would ruin the quality of life for all those people that travel down Lake Creek.”
Just changing the annexation map can take three or four months. There will be more planning commission meetings, plus a public hearing, before the Heber City Council makes its decision.
And amending the annexation map does not guarantee that the properties will be annexed. The property owners would still need to go through the annexation process and negotiate a development agreement with the city.
Meanwhile, Wasatch County leaders are trying to head off the development. At a special session Wednesday, Oct. 30, they’ll discuss a letter to Heber City leaders urging them to slow down and reconsider the annexation application.
