Two Bonds for Open Space?

One for Midway City, One for Wasatch County

by Robin M Johnson

Thirty years of talk about open space in Wasatch County has led to over 14,000 acres of land set aside as open space within developments for the purpose of preserving a rural feeling in Heber Valley. However, much of that open space is hidden within developments, or is on the mountainsides. Some developments have opted to dedicate their open space land to the city for parks, owned and maintained by the city. The first two PUD’s to choose this path in Midway were The Hamlet and The Valais.

These efforts have not necessarily produced the type of open space many are seeking. This article will address both the city and county efforts to retain a rural look and atmosphere by preserving farmland, the possibility of the city and county each placing bond referendums before voters, and the efforts of citizens organizing in Midway to get a bond on the Midway ballot possibly this fall. In fact, Pure Midway is making a presentation to the city council tomorrow night, Wednesday, August 9, requesting the city place a bond referendum on the ballot in the November General Election.

Steve Farrell and Mark Nelson, Wasatch county council members, made a presentation to the Midway City Council on Wednesday, July 27, at their regular meeting. Farrell talked about the county’s plan to create the Wasatch Open Lands Board (WOLB) through an Inter-local Agreement and asked the council if they would be interested in participating on the county level.

Ken Van Wagoner, city council member, said, “I think we’d be foolish not to participate. I think our whole goal for, not only Midway, but county wide, is more open space. More farms, more preservation.”

Farrell said, “I don’t think we need more open space, we need more quality open space. In the last thirty years we have about 14,000 acres, through development agreements, of open space which on the hillside nobody really gets a chance to see.”

Van Wagoner agreed, “Yeah, that isn’t what we’re after.”

Colleen Bonner, mayor, said, “More of farm preservation, conservation type stuff. But I think it’s important that Midway City have a committee that identifies those areas in our general region, we’re not even talking particularly city limits.” Bonner said Midway’s general region would be anything west of the Provo River. The land surrounding Midway on this side of the river that is county land “affects our city boundaries”.

As part of the general plan Midway City has a Future Annexation map, a declaration of intent to annex, which is required by the state of Utah for every city in the state. Midway City boundaries do not extend to the Provo River on its eastern boundary yet, nor to the Wasatch Mountain State Park on the west, however Midway has declared intent to annex to those borders as property owners make requests to the city. Bonner said maybe some of the area Midway might want to preserve as farm land “would still be county land”.

The discussion above between the city and county council leaders is an example of the change in direction talk of open space has taken in recent years. Leaders in Heber Valley are hearing what the majority of residents are asking for when they say open space. The community survey taken last year as Midway updated the general plan supports the idea of preserving not just the rural feel but the actual rural farming lifestyle, pastures and hayfields. 

Van Wagoner said it best, “More of the farm preservation aspect; where we see cows. We want to see cows.”

In response to survey results last year Midway passed a new land use ordinance this spring called the Rural Farm Preservation Ordinance. Several developers have already made application to the city using the new law. Developments brought in under this ordinance require five acres of farm land without a house, six acres with a house.

During the county presentation Farrell explained the county’s rationale for the WOLB board. He said, “The County has been working on this and we are looking at going out and seeing what we can do to preserve some of the open land, the farm land. We thought if we went out county wide we’d have a better chance and a better effort.” In particular he described Heber City, Midway City, and Wasatch County joining their bonding ability for greater purchasing power.

Farrell said the county proposes there should be no development between Midway and Heber City. The WOLB board was created to preserve farm fields between the two cities in several ways. First, to do the research for ways to fund farm land preservation, second, to help promote the preservation effort and third, to educate the voters on bonding and other potential funding methods the board identifies to protect the farm fields.

Farrell said, “I think as a combined effort we can probably go out for a pretty sizable bond and do some good. Probably there’d be no bond for 2017, but probably 2018. I don’t think there’s ample time to do it justice” for this year.

Bonner said, “But there are other resources out there, too, that you talked about two weeks ago and so I think part of the education is what other resources are available because a bond isn’t always the top thing we have to go after.”

Farrell said, “Yes, get the committee up and running so they can do that kind of research and make recommendations.”

Both Farrell and Nelson met with Bonner and the city planner, Michael Henke, in the afternoon prior to the council’s regular meeting. Farrell said they were discussing ways to make the idea of Midway participating in the county wide open space plan more amenable. One idea was particularly attractive to the group and Farrell presented it to the city council.

“If a community wanted to have their own open space committee,” Farrell said, “and they work under the same criteria as the county, then there might be a way we could allocate a percentage of the bonds to the city to help with this. If they had a project that met the criteria so all the money wouldn’t be spent in the north fields or someplace else. Now that’s something we will have to take back (to the county council), but that’s a good suggestion.”

Photo Taken: Fall 2013 (c) Robin Johnson, 2013, 2017

If Midway participates on the county level they would select one person as a representative of Midway to serve on the seven member WOLB board. In addition there would be one representative from Heber City, one from the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce Tourism, two from Wasatch County, and two at large. Each body would select their own representatives. The Wasatch County Council would select the two at large members from a pool of candidates who each fill out an application for the position.

Bonner asked, “Are we interested in being a part of that group as well, because I think there’s some real value to farm preservation of county land, as well as farm preservation in Midway City. I think we need to kind of look at all of it.”

Karl Dodge, council member, asked if the county resolution before the city council was in its final form. When he learned it was a draft resolution he asked if city council would see the final resolution. Ferrell said the county would return with a final resolution for Midway’s approval.

Bonner said according to the draft resolution the county would like to have Midway pick their board representative by the first of October. The council agreed and decided to wait until the county returns with the final resolution.

The next item on the council agenda was discussion on forming an Open Space committee for Midway. Two weeks previous the council decided to postpone their decision of whether Midway should have an Open Space committee of its own until after hearing the county presentation to create the WOLB board in order to best determine what course the city should take.  

During the county presentation Van Wagoner asked, “Would Midway have their own open space board and they would go through and ... look at the areas that they would like to see as open space, and then that would be taken, for example, to the county’s board which would include a (Midway) representative?”

Farrell confirmed, “It could work that way.” He suggested having the committee work out their goals, then give that information to the Midway representative who would then take the information to the county board. “That would be your purgative,” Farrell concluded.

After hearing the county’s proposal the council went ahead with their decision to form an Open Space committee. Henke was directed to prepare an application and have it available online and for pick up at the city offices by Monday, July 31. For application click here: http://www.midwaycityut.org/

The city is looking for seven citizen members and will assign two non-voting council members to the committee, the same format used by the city to create the newly formed Midway Trails and Parks Committee (MTPC). The application will also be similar to the one recently filled out by candidates who applied for MTPC.

Finally, Pure Midway and other citizens for smart growth and open space preservation held two community meetings on Open Space in July. They have asked to be on tomorrow night’s council agenda to present information on growth management, rural preservation, and open space. Pure Midway hopes to meet the mid August deadline for a bond referendum on this fall’s General Election ballot.

According to a post on Pure Midway’s facebook page, “Pure Midway believes a bond would be a critical toolbox item to help Midway manage growth. We support a bond if the citizens want that, and we believe that the citizens definitely deserve a chance to vote on it.”

Midway City has scheduled a 45 minute public hearing following Pure Midway’s presentation for citizen comment. According to Pure Midway the city will not vote on bonding tomorrow night. They will decide tomorrow night whether or not to hold a special meeting where a possible vote could happen because the city is required by state code to hold two meetings on the bond before the council votes on the matter.

Special Note:  Here is a link to Pure Midway’s blog with an article on the Pro’s and Con’s of Bonding for Open Space:  https://puremidway.org/bondqanda/