Over 200 people and more than two dozen representatives from the Utah Department of Transportation packed the Wasatch High School library for Thursday’s public hearing and open house.
The hearing was one of the main opportunities for locals to share feedback with UDOT about its planned route for the Heber Valley corridor, commonly known as the bypass.
The agency published a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) Jan. 7. It intends to build the highway through part of Wasatch County’s North Fields.
That decision has caused heartache for many longtime locals, who call the farmland the “crown jewel” of the Heber Valley.
Lori Stone is the president of Preserve Midway. She expressed deep concerns about the wetlands in the path of the future highway.
“The wetlands are beautiful, and they are the lungs of this valley,” she said. “They keep our air clean, and they’re one of the only aquifers still here.”
Stone says she doesn’t believe either of the two options UDOT considered is a good solution for the community.
Resident Holly Bodily told UDOT she’d like to see lower-impact options.
“Hindsight is going to be 20/20,” she said. “If we destroy these irreplaceable aquifers, we will always look back, and I don’t think anybody’s going to say, ‘I wish we would’ve destroyed more wetlands.’ I think we’re going to say, ‘I wish we would have done something to protect them while we had the chance.’”
Robert Hicken is one of the farmers whose land will be affected by the highway. The family has lived and worked on the property since 1862. He urged UDOT not to build the highway for the sake of slightly faster travel times.
“This is the heart of our valley; this is what brought us all here,” he said. “Please, please, please: let’s not sell our soul for 60 seconds.”
Some residents proposed ideas like creating more public transit options in Wasatch County to alleviate traffic.
Jeff Parker was one of the few residents who was willing to openly support UDOT’s preferred route. Many in the room laughed when he said he cares about the valley’s small-town feel, but he said the community must plan for growth.
“We cannot simply wish away the population increase; we must plan for it,” he said. “Heber is on a trajectory now to mirror the congestion of Kimball Junction. I don’t know if any of you have been to Kimball Junction, but boy, that’s rough – stoplight after stoplight of unsynchronized red lights and miles and miles of backup.”
He said although the bypass is unpopular, it’s an investment in the county’s quality of life.
Wyatt Woolley, UDOT’s spokesperson for the region, says the EIS is based on data and years of careful study. He says UDOT has looked closely at the environmental impacts to the North Fields.
“I would love people to dive into our delineation study of the wetlands,” he said. “We are fully aware of the need of the aquifer, the wetlands and of irrigation to the fields.”
He says UDOT is listening to every comment submitted.
Locals have until March 9 to share feedback with UDOT.
The agency will publish a final EIS this summer.
