Heber City has approved three public infrastructure districts with a goal to help make homeownership more affordable for residents.
Public infrastructure districts, or PIDs, do not inherently lead to more affordable homeownership. But Highlands developer D.R. Horton negotiated a deal with Heber City: If the three PIDs were approved, the developer would lower housing costs by $40,000.
In Utah, a public infrastructure district, or PID, is a tool that funds infrastructure such as roads, utilities, sewer systems and water without placing costs on all taxpayers. It operates using tax increment financing, which can be used to pay for public infrastructure as property values increase in PID areas.
PIDs are only for public infrastructure and not for private development. The districts have been used across Utah, like in Tooele County.
The Highlands is a community of 811 homes, townhomes and apartments near the Utah Valley University Wasatch campus. The groundbreaking was in September 2024, and it’s estimated to be completed by spring 2028.
With the PIDs, a Highlands townhome would cost $449,990. A single-family home would cost $654,990.
That commitment is not legally binding, so Heber City cannot keep D.R. Horton to it. But it’s something home buyers can keep track of. If the developer does not stick to that commitment, Heber City will be made aware through communication with homebuyers.
Heber City Councilor Aaron Cheatwood, who voted in favor of the three Tava-Highlands PIDs on Tuesday, said he is for more affordable homeownership.
“I do want to show to a homeowner: Your home is lower because it’s involved in a PID,” Cheatwood said. “So as you go pay these taxes, you should realize that part of the reason you got into this home is because you anticipate having expenses later to get into the home.”
Buyers, Cheatwood said, should be made aware of the existence of the PIDs, how the funds were used for infrastructure improvements and how construction costs were lowered for each home.
Cheatwood referenced his own homeownership journey, which he said started when he purchased a “hole in the wall” fixer-upper in Heber City.
“My life was changed by being able to buy a home way younger than my peers,” Cheatwood said.
He said that one of the things he has grappled with is the benefit of getting a homeowner into a home sooner.
Councilor Yvonne Barney said her concern about PIDs has not changed much throughout previous discussions with D.R. Horton. In June, Barney was still skeptical of the proposal.
“I’m probably stuck in the middle; I’m really having a hard time with trying to negotiate how I felt so long ago against PIDs and still do,” Barney said. “But with this project, I feel very strongly that this will be something that will benefit our community.”
Barney abstained from the vote. The four remaining city councilors were in favor.