TLDR:

• Heber has undergone a surge of development, resulting in not only an increase in annexation applications but proposals for a Heber Valley LDS temple and a UDOT Bypass project
• Residents have filed lawsuits to stop development, and there has been public outcry against the proposed UDOT bypass route due to its impact on wetlands, agricultural land & local neighborhoods.
• Deep pockets are required to navigate the appeals process that will likely ensure.

With a 20% increase in population in the last 5 years, Heber City has experienced an explosion of development projects.

These include annexation applications reviewed by the Heber City Council, a proposal for a new LDS Heber Valley temple, and a new UDOT bypass to divert freeway traffic from Heber’s Main St. We discuss the implications of this growth below.

Benefits of annexations

Annexation into Heber gives developers access to water, sewer & road infrastructure and zoning districts that allow higher density development compared to unincorporated county areas. In return, Heber gets to expand their property tax base.

Recent annexations include the following:

• Jordanelle Ridge: This project off SR-32 consists of 5,700 units on about 3,000 acres with another 5,000 acres remaining as open space and was annexed into Heber City in 2020. Another 66 acres with 355 units (52 single family homes + 303 townhomes) within the Jordanelle Ridge subdivision was annexed in 2024.
• College Downs: A 17-acre mixed-used development next to the Utah Valley University Wasatch campus off US-40 was finally approved in 2023 after two failed attempts, creating an estimated ~200 apartments and over 20 townhomes.
• The Crossings & The Slope in North Village: Development agreements for The Crossings & The Slope were approved by Heber City Council in early 2025. Both projects have been approved for 94 hotel units, over 500 residential units, 9 retail units and at least 70 affordable housing units.
• Wasatch Highlands: Near Red Ledges, this 2,700-acre mixed-use development project with around 700 homes & a hotel applied to annex into Heber City in 2024 but failing this in 2025, was approved to be a preliminary municipality in 2026 by the state

The projects above will introduce at least a thousand new housing units and several new hotels in the next few years. This will mean increased traffic on US-40 and US-32, but also economic expansion for Heber with real estate that is priced lower than Park City.

Building the Heber Valley LDS Temple

The Wasatch County Council approved an 88K sqft 210 ft-tall Heber Valley LDS Temple in November 2023. Located at 1400 E Center St, the project includes 454 parking stalls & lightning in dark sky areas. The site is in a RA-1 zone, where the building limit is 35ft from the natural grade, but religious structures are permitted as a conditional use.

Construction began in 2025, but residents raised concerns about lighting in dark sky preservation areas and traffic, filing a lawsuit & insisting that the legislative development agreement was illegal. An injunction against the construction was granted by the 4th district court in September 2025 but was lifted by the Utah Supreme court in February 2026. The court found arguments about environmental impact unconvincing & did not find “irreparable harm” to be caused to residents by the construction.

Both the Wasatch County planning commission & Council claimed to have followed all the zoning laws & regulations for this project. Residents can always sue and they did. It’s telling that the church is so confident in its case that it has started with construction while guaranteeing to undo the construction if it loses on appeal.

Relieving traffic congestion with the UDOT Heber Bypass Project

Heavy long-haul truck traffic through Heber’s downtown core has led to several pedestrian-auto accidents, resulting in UDOT stepping in with a bypass route to divert traffic away from Heber’s Main St.

After gathering public input, UDOT announced a favored bypass route in January 2026 in a draft environmental impact statement (EIS). Public outcry on the bypass route centered on its impact on North Fields agricultural land / wetlands and on the 1300 South neighborhood. UDOT returned in May 2026 with adjustments to move the North Fields route further east and the 1300 South segment further south.

UDOT plans to finalize the EIS in late 2026. As a state agency, it has final say on the bypass route, but residents can sue and have in the past (see LCC UDOT gondola project and St George’s Northern Corridor highway project). Deep pockets are required to navigate the appeals process that will likely ensure. Presumably, conservation nonprofits are fundraising to cover costs.

Key Takeaways

Conflict seems to always arise in fast growing areas. Many residents feel strongly that preservation of open space lands is key for the Heber Valley to retain its unique appeal as an outdoor gateway to the Uinta and Wasatch ranges.

Public safety is a top priority for UDOT so it’s in everyone’s interest to ensure that the bypass connector is constructed ASAP. As always, the courts are a recourse for residents to challenge planning decisions. and this will likely result in delays for major projects.