The Henefer Town Council is updating its General Plan to visualize the next 20 years of development in the small North Summit municipality, including a commercial core on Main Street and an expansion of local road infrastructure.
The General Plan is a guiding document intended to help the Town Council navigate conversations with developers. Town planner Jake Young presented a preliminary version of the General Plan to the Town Council and Henefer Planning Commission on Thursday, with a focus on land use, transportation and commercial development.
The draft showed future residential areas stretching north of East Canyon Road and south of 200 South, extending the stretch of town where a number of single-family homes are already located. The map also included two new parks in the potential neighborhoods.
Young encouraged the Town Council to consider where commercial businesses could establish themselves in Henefer, stressing the importance of capturing commercial tax dollars as the state Legislature works to reduce the amount of property taxes collected from private homeowners.
He suggested incentivizing a commercial core on Main Street between 200 North and 100 South, but the Town Council expressed concerns about existing single-family residences on the block.
Planning Commissioner Micah Richins specifically said he supported the idea, but he didn’t know if it would be an appealing area to commercial developers because of the demolition work they would need to do.
Young said he would keep the stretch between 200 North and 100 South as a potential area for commercial businesses, but he shifted the designated commercial core slightly north to be between East Canyon Road and 200 North.
The change was based on feedback from the Town Council and Henefer Mayor Kay Richins, who all agreed the empty lot on the corner of 200 North was more likely to “spark” further development along Main Street than redeveloping residential lots to the south.
The General Plan draft also expanded the local road systems to the north and south in conjunction with the two residential zones. Young said he aimed to keep the grid system as efficient as possible, which is why it was important to plan road infrastructure before developers build new neighborhoods.
Young also mentioned access for emergency services as a key reason to plan ahead.
The proposal touched on recreation, too, with Young suggesting a series of trails along the river and around the meadows to the north. He pointed out the zoned outdoor recreation area where the Weber Crossing Campground is and recommended the Town Council encourage more “high end” campgrounds to bolster the town’s offerings.
The Town Council wasn’t necessarily opposed to having “high end” campgrounds, but Micah Richins said he was concerned about formalizing that approach through an ordinance because it could price out local business owners, who are often fronting investments out of pocket and without much financial backing.
Young said he hoped to have the Town Council adopt the finalized General Plan by the end of the year. There will be opportunities for community members to learn more about and comment on the draft at a future open house and public hearing to be scheduled at a later date.
Once the Planning Commission holds its public hearing, it will forward a recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council will then discuss and possibly modify the plan before holding a final vote on its adoption.
