ABOUT − GENERAL PLAN | Envision Heber

BREAKING DOWN THE GENERAL PLAN

Section 10-9a-403 of Utah state law requires all cities within the state to have a General Plan, however the law dictates that only three topics must be addressed within the plan:

future land use
transportation
housing (including an analysis of affordable housing)

While these are all important issues, Heber City’s General Plan will aim higher to address additional topics essential to our community’s sustained growth and improvement. The 2019 General Plan will contemplate the future of our community, and tackle the challenges and trends that will affect our city for the next 30-plus years.

Envision Heber 2050 understands that incorporating the opinions, preferences and experiences of our community members is critical to drafting a General Plan that best represents and serves the residents of Heber City.

In previous conversations with local residents, the following topics have all been raised. We encourage our community members to get involved and make their voices heard throughout the planning process.

Commercial Development
Community Culture
Economic Development
Environmental Issues
Historic Preservation

Open Space
Parks and Trails
Public Transportation
Residential Development
and Housing Options

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GENERAL PLAN

Heber City has been operating off an outdated General Plan that didn’t foresee the rapid growth we’ve experienced in the 16 years since its creation. As such, our current plan from 2003 fails to address the biggest issues and priorities of our growing community.

“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.
‘Which road do I take?’ she asked.
‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response. ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.
‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.’”
~Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland

The future of Heber City will be here before we know it – and if we don’t decide where we want to go, we will likely regret where we end up. If we want to provide a prosperous and happy future for ourselves, our families and our community, the time to act is now.

That is why, in January 2019, Heber City officials and community stakeholders led by Mayor Kelleen Potter convened with the goal of addressing our city’s need for an updated General Plan. The plan will tackle the challenges of sustainable growth, determine policy direction and define our priorities as a community.

The underlying importance of the Heber City General Plan can be summed up in one question: How will we address today’s issues to enrich our beautiful community in the short term, but also lay the groundwork to sustain a community we want to live in 30 years from now?

CREATING A COHESIVE VISION

As outlined in state law, General Plans are the responsibility of local planning commissions, which are required to hold public hearings and make recommendations to city councils. The city council then has the final authority to approve, modify or deny the proposed General Plan.

Envision Heber exists to ensure that the residents of Heber City play an integral role in this planning process. Through careful study and an open community engagement process, our goal is for the community to come together to build a vision for our future and set a standard for Heber City – a standard that its residents help create.

Throughout 2019, Envision Heber will host a series of community meetings, workshops, open houses and public surveys to gather public input, conduct community research and identify the goals and priorities of our residents. This inclusive, collaborative effort will help steer our community leaders in the right direction and enact a General Plan that supports our collective vision for Heber City’s future.

IMPLEMENTING THE UPDATED GENERAL PLAN

Heber City’s updated General Plan will help guide growth in our community, and provide our residents, business owners and community stakeholders the best understanding of how we envision the future of our city.

From the outset, Envision Heber will craft a vision statement for the project, upon which we will weigh all of our decisions. This vision statement will act as a guiding principal for the planning process, and will hold our current and future leaders to our goals as a community.

Once the planning commission recommends the plan in a public hearing and the city council accepts the plan, the Heber City General Plan will be used as a check on everyday budgeting, zoning and planning decisions. As the guide for city decisions, city departments will use the plan as a reference when contemplating any changes to our standard operating procedures, land usage requirements and zoning ordinances.

As we have witnessed over the past 16 years since the last Heber City General Plan was drafted, the state of our community can change quickly. In effect, our General Plan should be revisited and updated every year or two, with any changes openly discussed in public forums.

In recrafting and regularly updating our Heber City General Plan together, we – as a community – can both help resolve today’s challenges and plan for a brighter future for us all.