Tomorrow's the big day for Heber Citizens to vote on the rezoning issue to allow 150,000+ sq. ft. big box retail stores AND 20 housing units per acre in Heber City. I strongly urge a vote AGAINST this proposal.
1 The project will cost Heber City resident MORE in property taxes, not less. No analysis has been done showing the COSTS to Wasatch County residents (which includes Heber City) of the proposed residential portion of the project. The resultant cost in school taxes will totally offset any increase in "revenues."
Heber City routinely has chosen to neglect ALL of the costs of projects and merely focuses on the Heber City portion of potential tax receipts as their deciding factor.
2 Heber Valley does NOT NEED a Big Box. While many may seek the convenience of "closer" shopping, the downside of the vastly increasing growth (which a big box will encourage to maintain
financial viability) will completely overshadow that supposed convenience. Increased traffic may even cause longer travel times than now required to get to Park City or Orem.
3 The proposed financial benefit (to Heber) is based on a sales $/ sq.ft. generated by similar sized stores - NOT on population. This is an inflated erroneous assumption designed to "sell" the project. The $15,000 Wikstrom study demonstrated the problems associated with a Big Box; the warnings apparently went unheeded.
4 This is absolutely the worst location for a large shopping center - at the busiest intersection in the valley AND on the route for the proposed Heber truck bypass/
5 Boyer (WalMart) is spending a tremendous amount of money on advertising, surveys, freebies, handouts, etc. to BUY your vote. I hate to tell you this, but these expenditure may be self serving.
6 A recent letter to Heber residents (?) (actually mailed to what appears to be the Boyer list) talks of tax dollars, intercity competition for the store, and local businesses. The letter points out that Heber is now longer a "small-town," but, at 10,000 population, it is certainly NOT to "big city " status yet. The "I think" letter is signed by five couples and appears to be the thinking of recent transplants who escaped from the city and now want to recreate in our (still somewhat) rural valley, what they left .
VOTE no (AGAINST( the mixed use Zone)
For more comments and in depth analysis click here.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Looks like it's time for us to get out. The ship is sinking and we (rats) are the first ones off. I will make sure I stop buy Walmart on my way out of town for supplies as it's a long trek to Fruitland.
106 Votes? Walmart, bigbox and all their friends are comming now.
It appears that the Heber City Referendum has sneaked out a victory (if election night results hold once all provisional ballots are counted) -- by the narrowest of margins.
It looks like the Mixed Use Zone won by 106 votes.
That's pretty close, in such a hotly contested race. I was surprised by how close it was.
Heber City will have a Wal-Mart, possibly by next fall.
Now all that remains is to get over the rancor and vindictiveness, the derision and divisiveness that this topin generated over the last few months. I hope we can avoid any grudges, name-calling, slander, and petty recriminations.
We're all neighbors. We may have different opinions, but we all want the same thing: to live happily, to get along, and to enjoy this beautiful valley we live in.
And, yes, it will still be a very beautiful valley even with this new Boyer development. We will still have our breathtaking mountains, our crisp air, our beautiful North Fields, and we will still have each other. The best neighbors and friends one could ever want.
I'm proud to call Wasatch County my home. And nothing can change that.
http://wasatchpost.blogspot.com/
Post a Comment