On Feb 27, 2023, UDOT Officials met with myself, Spencer Park, the Wasatch County Council Chair, and Ryan Stack, City Council Member, to discuss the Bypass Road (or Heber Valley Parkway EIS). This is the first time that the County Chair and I, as Heber City Mayor were invited to meet with the UDOT Executive Director and Deputy Director.
Chairman Park representing the Wasatch County Council asked UDOT to not build the Bypass Road through the North Fields on proposed routes WB3 or WB4. I and City Council Member Yvonne Barney told UDOT we agreed with the County Council and supported preserving the North Fields. (Council Member Barney submitted a letter for the meeting since she wasn’t invited.)
Unitedly, I and Chairman Park asked UDOT to keep the originally planned bypass route around the City, which is mostly in proposed routes WA1, WB1, and WB2.
Click here to see proposed routes or: https://hebervalleyeis.udot.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HVC_EIS_SC_Alternative_Components_Maps_Factsheet_6-7-2022.pdf
(I still have real concerns with 1300 South and Highway 189 in the WB2 & WB4 routes. Those designs should be changed to continue current westbound traffic on the existing Highway 189–not reroute it northward around the sewer farm, plus more.)
Here’s what else I learned at that UDOT meeting last week.
Ryan Stack told UDOT that “a majority of the Heber City Council” did not agree with the Wasatch County Resolutions and instead wanted the North Fields routes WB3 & WB4.
He also stated this in his ‘MEMO’ given to the City Council on Thursday, and posted in the upcoming March 7, 2023 City Council meeting agenda at: https://heber-ut.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=1270&meta_id=100424 ; look in the 4th paragraph.
- This is the first time I’ve actually heard any City Council Member claim that the ‘majority’ wanted those North Fields Bypass routes, WB3 & WB4.
- How could he say this without a public meeting, taking public input, and having an actual Council vote?
- Is this being transparent and accountable to the public?
The City Council should represent the Citizens of Heber and not just their own opinions.
Chairman Park then ask Ryan Stack when would the City Council vote on their preferred route? Chairman Park again explained that the County Council passed two Resolutions supporting the originally planned bypass route last year.
After that meeting, Ryan submitted a ‘discussion’ agenda on Bypass route preferences for the March 7th City Council meeting. Yet it’s listed as a ‘general business’ agenda item so the public actually cannot give comments during that Council discussion.
The public can give comments before in the general ‘public comments’ of the regular meeting, starting at 6 pm. Join us if you can in person or online- March 7, 2023. Or send a public comment to: ccpublic@heberut.gov This goes to the City Council and is added to the meeting minutes.
Something to consider: during UDOT’s public ‘scoping’ process back in 2020, the ‘majority’ of the City Council — Ryan Stack, Rachel Kahler, and Mike Johnston provided public comments to UDOT advocating for a North Fields Bypass route.
Please remember that back in 2020 most of us thought that UDOT would use the originally planned Bypass Route approved in 2007.
The public did not know about or see the North Fields routes until October 2021 when UDOT unveiled their 13+ proposed routes. When I saw the North Fields route then, it was a shock. The UDOT official I talked to then explained that some members of the public had submitted that route.
Now we know that at least three City Council Members are on record supporting the North Fields bypass routes.
You can see their 2020 comments to UDOT at:
Comments #3, #132 – 136, #176, for Rachel Kahler.
Comments #20, #37, #68, for Ryan Stack.
Comments #81 – #88 for Mike Johnston.
Comment #181 from Layne Lythgoe discusses working with a ‘number of City Council members.’
Comments #208 – 211 for Scott Phillips (before elected to Council).
See their 2021 Comments to UDOT at: (written Fall 2021, published in 2022)
https://hebervalleyeis.udot.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HVC-EIS-Alternative-Screening-Appendix-G-Alternatives-Comments.pdf ; starting on pg. 36:
Comments #12, #38, #40, #41, especially #251 from Ryan Stack;
#295 – 296 from Mr. Lane Lythgoe,
#576 from Mike Johnston;
#556 (from Wasatch Open Lands Board which I chair); & #667 also from Heidi Franco.
I campaigned against the North Fields bypass routes when running for Mayor in 2021. I also openly worked to preserve the North Fields as Chair of the Wasatch Open Lands Board since 2018 and discussed it before that in many city and county meetings.
At last week’s meeting I asked UDOT to follow the majority opinion in the County (that’s counting all of us) when choosing the final Bypass route–because the entire County has voted several times to preserve the North Fields in referendums & the Open Space bond, etc.
The main thing Heber City that needs on the Bypass road is:
- The City getting jurisdiction over Main Street.
- Then we can lower the speed limit and ensure diesels use the Bypass route.
- Then we can do more for downtown revitalization to become a ‘destination location.’
- The City also needs to update our City’s Transportation Master Plan to take care of our traffic with or without a bypass route. I continue to advocate for this.
There have been six City Council votes in the last five years to preserve the North Fields. These City Council votes start with the Annexation Policy Plan, different MOU’s with the County, to the Council’s latest Boundary Line designation for the Wasatch High School Annexation.
Please let the City Council know how you feel about the Bypass Road preferences using the public comment link above or attending the meeting.
The Mayor's Report 