The self-described crepe king was among the 34 retail shops, 20 food vendors and 14 food trucks set up to sell wares at Heber Market on Main at Main Street Park on Thursday.

Despite being royalty, Kent King of Crepe Factory displayed a humble demeanor and an almost aggressive friendliness with a smile permanently plastered on his face as he waved down friends or asked teenage patrons about how the school year had gone. 

A Southwest Airlines pilot and aviation science professor with Utah State University, King got into the crepe-slinging business 14 years ago as a way to connect with people. The Heber City local has been participating in the annual Market on Main farmer’s market and concert series all that time, making crepes for many of the local kids as they’ve grown up.

King and his litany of employees, many his children or grandchildren, are most often found at Brigham Young University, where the Crepe Factory sets up for games and events. King’s record is 871 crepes sold over a three-day women’s conference.

Other than his friendliness, King’s key to success is his custom-built kiosk. It has a window display so customers can watch their crepe being made — a tactic King picked up from vendors in Paris — and lights installed to attract patrons like hungry moths.

Crepe Factory sells anywhere from 100 to 150 crepes each Thursday during Market on Main, which runs from the beginning of June to mid-August this year. Inevitably, King ends up giving out many of those crepes for free — but don’t tell his paying customers, he joked.

Market on Main has existed in some shape or form since 1998. Local Paul Askins was tired of driving to Park City for outdoor summer concerts and started a concert series of his own in Main Street Park, printing posters with his dot matrix printer and gathering about 25 attendees. 

The event, combined with a Midway farmer’s market in the early 2000s, created the fusion of live music, shopping and dining patrons enjoy today.

The tradition became popular a little over a decade ago, bringing 300 to 400 attendees per night, according to Rachel Kahler, executive director of nonprofit Community Alliance for Main Street. These days the event brings between 600 and 1,000 attendees every Thursday.

This year’s Market on Main is the first organized by Community Alliance for Main Street. It was previously organized by city staff, who took over the responsibility from Askins about six years ago.

Before the event, Kahler was “holding (her) breath and hoping it all works out.” She’d spent weeks making arrangements and putting out fires to ensure permitting, business licenses and the event layout were all in place.

But the attendees wandering through the sea of vendors’ tents, lazing on the lawn or dancing like no one was watching on Thursday were none the wiser to the blood, sweat and tears that had gone into its organization.

Askins, too, is familiar with the headaches that can come from organizing the event.

“When we were first starting out, we didn’t really coordinate well with the parks people, and we had a couple where the sprinklers came on right in the middle of the concert. It was in the summer, so some people appreciated it,” Askins laughed.

There was one summer when bands played in the Heber Valley Rotary Club’s bandstand — which was constructed for the concert series — before it had a roof. Supported by a land donation from the city and financial backing from the Rotary Club, the bandstand was completed around 2003.

Before the bandstand was constructed, Askins found it impossible to convince Parkites and other out-of-towners to make the trek to the Heber Valley for concerts. But “once people got to know that this was a viable venue, I had musicians calling me all year long, wanting to be involved,” he said.

Now, Market on Main’s live acts perform in the much larger, $3.5 million bandshell the city constructed last June, with programming coordinated by Park City’s Mountain Town Music.

“It’s beyond our wildest dreams that the city would put this much effort behind it and build something like this. I mean, this stage can handle big bands,” Askins said.

Although he was a DJ for KPCW for two decades, Askins doesn’t describe himself as a musician. The instruments he plays are the stereo and the radio, he joked.

He is, however, an appreciator of all genres of music, which showed in the types of concerts he put on.

“We’d have a jazz night. We’d have a country night. We’d have a rock night. We’d have a folk night. Everyone of them did really well, except for the jazz night,” he said. “Nobody liked jazz in the valley. Those ones were dead every time. But I think now they could do jazz, and it would be different.”

That’s because of Heber City’s growth in population from about 11,000 in 2010 to nearly 20,000 in 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. With that, population growth has increased diversity in many forms, including in music taste, Askins said.

Another symptom of that increased diversity can be found in Market on Main’s beer garden, where Askins spends his Thursday evenings checking IDs.

“There’s no way that I ever thought we’d have a beer garden outside in the Heber Valley,” Askins joked, though he greatly appreciates the addition.

When Askins started his concert series, he had only lived in Heber City for about a year. He didn’t take credit for making Market on Main what it is today, but he did offer advice about how to contribute positively to one’s community: “You get out of it what you put into it.”

The post Historic Market on Main kicks off summer in Heber City appeared first on Park Record.

Lucille, a 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Midway, was the coolest dog on the block during Heber City’s “Dogs Day in the Park” at Main Street Park on Saturday morning.

She got her name from “Arrested Development,” “I Love Lucy” and a heart-shaped patch of fur on her back. Wearing pink goggles and a little helmet, sitting cozily inside a custom backpack secured to an electric skateboard, Lucille won the doggie costume contest by a landslide. 

And when it comes to skating, this pup is no poser. Lucille rides about 40 miles a day with her owner, Rich Cizmas, who places his feet on either side of her. The pair have clocked around 6,000 miles in all.

Cizmas got into electric skateboarding because traditional skateboarding became harder on his body in his 50s. He said he loves losing himself in the high speeds of up to 45 mph. 

“I have people all the time, neighbors and friends from church or whatnot, and they’re like, ‘Hey, I saw you, I tried flagging you down.’ And I apologize because I’m like, ‘Yeah, hey, sorry, I’m just so in the zone,’” he said. 

Riding around the Heber Valley, Lucille’s become a bit of a celebrity. She gets her picture taken “half a dozen times a day” and gets much more loving on top of that.

“I’ll be at Ace Hardware. We’re looking at nuts and bolts to keep this (skateboard) running, And it’ll be the 350-pound construction guy that’s on his knees playing with her and (saying), ‘Thank you. I needed that,’” Cizmas said.

She’s even met Karl Malone, the former NBA player and owner of Karl Malone Powersports.

“Everybody knows little Lucille,” Cizmas said. 

He’s thinking about creating a social media account for her because “it’s kind of chill watching a dog on a skateboard, looking at the horses and the cows and the beautiful scenery we have out here.” That, and Lucille’s career as a watchdog didn’t pan out.

Lucille wasn’t the only dog to get her laurels during the day’s festivities. Our furry friends of the Heber Valley were given the opportunity to star in a parade, run on a treadmill, frolic in a foam pit and imitate their humans in a dog/owner lookalike contest.

The winner of the latter competition was Otis. Voting through their cheers, the crowd agreed that Otis’ bullish frame, round head and stuck-out tongue in some way resembled his owner, Michael Griego. 

Griego said they get it all the time. The only real difference is their tongues.

“I keep mine in,” Griego joked.

“Dogs Day in the Park” was not only for fun. It was also a test of local dogs and their owners to see whether lifting the citywide ban on dogs in public parks might be feasible.

That’s why the event also featured informative booths on pet ownership, health and adoption from organizations like Paws for Life, Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs and Wasatch Animal Clinic.

Otis, for one, was a model citizen.

“He’s a good example of bringing a dog anywhere. He’s great. He can sit down outside a restaurant. He’ll sit down and watch kids play,” Griego said. “I’d love to take him more places. But he’s totally happy just going where he can.”

An ad hoc committee formed by the City Council is considering allowing dogs on-leash in Eagle, Mill Road Estates, Cove and Private Kay Pete Murdock Jones parks, as well as off-leash in Private Key Pete Murdock Jones and Jordan parks. The ad hoc committee will not consider lifting the ban on Main Street Park except for special events. No change to the citywide ban has been made yet.

Holly Argueta, animal services coordinator for Heber Valley Animal Services, said she hopes any change in restrictions wouldn’t place too much strain on the organization’s two animal control officers, who cover the entire county themselves.

“My biggest concern is people not obeying the rules around that, letting their dogs off leash, letting their dogs on the playground where the children are and not picking up after them,” she said. “But I think if we can get enough people to be accountable and hold others accountable, I don’t think that there will be a big issue with that. I think it’s going to be a pretty awesome way for people to bring their animals out and bond better with them.”

The post Heber City hosts Dogs Day while considering lifting canine ban appeared first on Park Record.

A master plan for a controversial redesign of Heber City Main Street Park, also referred to as the Trailhead Plaza, is nearing completion, with a final draft to be presented to the City Council on June 2. If approved, Terracon will move into the next phase, which will include creating a detailed construction budget and drawings. 

Terracon Consultants project manager Lars Erickson and principal Dave Harris presented a preferred master plan to the City Council during its session two weeks ago. City councilors requested time to mull over the plan before providing direction on what the final plan should look like.

Erickson and Harris arrived in the City Council chambers in the early evening on Tuesday to collect that feedback. It was around 10:25 p.m. when the City Council finally reached the agenda item. The discussion had been slated for one hour, but given the time, councilors’ feedback was brief and fast-paced, taking less than 20 minutes.

The consultant’s preferred master plan was based on a public survey and feedback period in February and March, as well as elements of the city’s first park master plan, which architect Roger Brooks designed in March 2025. 

Terracon’s plan includes a skate/ice ribbon (though a smaller one than what Brooks originally envisioned), a rope play area suspended over the ribbon, an all-abilities playground, a splash pad, a fire pit and a raised berm that would serve as a sledding hill in the winter. It also focuses on preserving the lawn and historic trees, which were not prioritized in Brooks’ plan. 

The price tag for Brooks’ original design was an estimated $23 million. Terracon will include preliminary cost estimates, which will likely be lower given the scaling back of Brooks’ vision, in its final master plan.

City councilors are split on whether to include retail in the park and, if so, how much. Brooks’ plan was “to have at least 20 vendors on the square at all times” in see-through kiosks called jewel boxes and in permanent retail buildings alongside Main Street. 

“Absolutely no on the businesses on Main Street. I think that will compete with businesses that are already struggling to stay ahead,” City Councilor Yvonne Barney said. 

City Councilor Aaron Cheatwood agreed. He was “a proponent for small, pop-up retail” like the jewel boxes. Meanwhile, City Councilor Sid Ostergaard emphasized the importance of retail picking up some of the park’s costs. 

“We need to be really concerned about the pro forma of this. Commercial is going to help this be viable in the future and pay for stuff,” he said.

The park may also be funded by sources including city Trails, Arts and Parks tax revenue, impact fees on new developments, of which the city has already set aside over $8 million for the park, state and federal grants and public-private partnerships. Mayor Heidi Franco also suggested placing a municipal bond on the project.

Ostergaard’s and Councilor Mike Johnston’s feedback on the design was overall positive, aside from his lack of enthusiasm about the rope play area, which City Councilor Morgan Murdock shared.

“I have shared this with neighbors. Everybody loves the splash pad and the ice ribbon and the stake ribbon in the summer. I think you nailed it,” Johnston said. “It gives us vibrancy and energy to downtown, which is the goal. We have thousands of acres of open space around us and quiet spaces and natural spaces. I don’t think downtown is the place to have that anymore.”

Not all were chill about the ice ribbon, which has also proven to be controversial among residents for its size and proximity to the Midway Ice Rink. 

“I know that Mike says that he’s talked to (residents). I’ve seen more than that that have said, ‘Absolutely not,’ to any ice skating,” Barney said.

Cheatwood said he liked the roller skating ribbon and could come around to making it an ice ribbon as well. However, he did not want to see it built immediately.

“Let’s build it as the demand appears. I think roller skating is easy. It costs concrete. I think ice is harder,” he said.

Cheatwood, Ostergaard and Franco agreed the key to redesigning Main Street Park would be a phased approach. 

Franco said public reception would be negative if the city started with anything more than it “can afford.” 

For her, that meant the basics: a pavilion and other shaded areas, upgraded restrooms and drinking fountains, more trees, wider sidewalks and a new playground. She also expressed her disapproval of commercializing the space.

“There are so many ideas here, right? And the costs are incredible, too. I think the public would appreciate it if we would start simple,” she said. “We’ve got to scale this up as we can afford it, no matter what the golden goose is at the end.”

The post Final draft of Heber City Main Street Park redesign nears completion appeared first on Park Record.

“Where do you take guests to experience Heber?” 

That was a survey question intended to gather resident feedback on the redesign of Heber City’s Main Street Park.

While many of the top answers referred to the great outdoors, beloved restaurants and the Heber Valley Railroad, the second-most popular answer was not even in town. Fifty-six of 400 respondents said they spend their time in Midway when friends and family come to visit.

That’s part of why Heber City plans to redesign Main Street Park as a Trailhead Plaza by the 2034 Olympics: to increase foot traffic and spending downtown, host year-round activities and shape a community identity.

Engineering firm Terracon led an effort earlier this year to gather feedback on what residents want to see in a park redesign, which included three open houses and the aforementioned survey. Representatives from Terracon and MHTN Architects presented their findings to the City Council on Tuesday.

Terracon identified a set of priority elements for the Trailhead Plaza, and representatives asked the City Council for direction on a preliminary design for the project. Principal Dave Harris said the goal is to align the consulting firm’s vision with the city.

“We’re going to do the right thing for the city and for the community and for the majority. … I think we can take this information and figure out what’s just right for Heber,” he said.

To gauge residents’ interests, Terracon drew up three designs based on the initial 134-page plaza design created by architect Roger Brooks last March. Brooks’ vision included elements such as a 12,000-square-foot ice ribbon, a splash pad and space for community vendors. His goal was “to have at least 20 vendors on the square at all times.”

Brooks’ plan had a price tag of $23 million. Terracon’s designs explored low-, medium- and high-cost versions of Brooks’ plan but did not include precise cost estimates. Each design tweaked elements like the amount of retail and the size of the lawn and ice ribbon.

Respondents consistently ranked the lawn and preservation of historic trees as their favorite elements in each concept they were presented with, though Brooks’ plan did not emphasize those elements.

“(Trees are one) of the few public assets that increase in value over time. Whereas others fall apart, trees get stronger, healthier and more robust, providing irreplaceable shade and beauty,” said Ryan Wallace, a planner and architect with MHTN Architects.

Retail was less popular. Terracon’s designs included a mixture of retail buildings and glass kiosks rented as incubator spaces to local businesses. A common response was to “consider less or no retail and buildings on the site,” according to Terracon’s presentation. Some requested that the park host vendors in the summer instead of year-round.

The ice ribbon received mixed reactions, particularly about its potential costs and maintenance. Some public commenters at Tuesday’s meeting added that it was inessential given Heber City’s proximity to the Midway Ice Rink. So, Terracon plans to minimize the ice ribbon’s size.

Terracon’s other listed priorities for the park include shaded areas, upgraded restrooms and a new all-abilities playground.

Thirty-one percent of respondents to Terracon’s survey indicated they did not like any of the concept designs for the park. Several commenters also spoke against the Trailhead Plaza redesign.

However, resident Alexandra Fullmer pointed out that doesn’t mean respondents were opposed to any changes at the park. Fullmer said many of the people she had talked to desired smaller, less expensive improvements — like the bathrooms and playground — instead of a complete overhaul.

Community member Tracy Taylor argued the city could use its money “much more frugally” by improving existing parks. She also voiced her discomfort with adding retail to Main Street Park.

“I’ve heard from Main Street merchants themselves that don’t want the competition. They can barely make their lease payments or their mortgage payments,” she said.

Although the official public feedback period is completed, City Councilor Yvonne Barney welcomed the engagement. 

“If you’re seeing this, and you’re going, ‘Wow, we don’t want that,’ let us know,” she encouraged.

City councilors did not provide specific design direction for Terracon, instead asking to continue the discussion to May 19 to provide time to digest the survey results. 

However, they agreed Terracon had given them a great place to start. 

“I appreciate that we’re whittling down Roger Brooks’ presentation,” Barney said. “I think that’s been the biggest source of frustration for most of the citizens, is that it was just so much, and there was such a huge alteration of the community park that we have currently. … I’m really glad that we’re starting to see (it) a little bit more (realistically).”

After incorporating City Council feedback, Terracon will present a final preferred master plan and construction budget for the Trailhead Plaza sometime in June.

The post Public feedback gives direction to Heber City Main Street Park overhaul  appeared first on Park Record.

While many of the roughly 300 who came to the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Heber City Main Street Park to celebrate their Mexican heritage, 13-year-old Guillermo Osorio was just there for the lucha libre.

He’d been waiting impatiently since he saw the flyer last month. His life’s dream is to add an actual, gold-plated WWE belt to his collection of Walmart replicas. 

Osorio’s brother and parents have repeatedly asked him whether he wants to become a wrestler, but he’s still not sure. If he did, his persona would be Niño Hamburguesa Con Queso — Cheeseburger Kid (not to be confused with Mexican pro wrestler Niño Hamburguesa).

“My friends are making fun of me,” Osorio explained, holding a shiny, red luchador mask. “They can call me cheeseburger, but I don’t care.”

Osorio was determined to find his new favorite wrestler among the crowd of competing luchadores from Lucha Libre Utah. By the end of the night, he had his answer: Big Country, an overall-clad hillbilly in a sleeveless plaid shirt.

Big Country’s opponent was the terrifying Slasher Slade, a KISS reject with an appetite for human flesh.

“Do you see your dinner?” asked the announcer, Jagger Lane, as Slasher Slade came onstage and leered at the crowd. Then, he held Slasher Slade back when he approached some kids in the front row, teeth bared, malice in his eyes.

Although the ring was set up on the park’s stage, very little of Big Country and Slasher Slade’s battle took place there. Instead, they duked it out in the crowd. 

At one point, a little girl in the front row shot one of the luchadores with a bubble gun, and he mimed being impaled by dozens of machine gun rounds. Then, Big Country politely asked the girl for the gun, grabbed it and slammed the stock in his opponent’s face. 

Everyone was in on the mock violence. At one point, a luchador picked up a short, skinny high schooler and used his body as a battering ram.

Wasatch High School senior Jazmine Parks was calmly selling $5 ringside tickets amid the chaos. Proceeds from the tickets went directly to the school’s Latinos In Action club, of which Parks is president, for activities and events.

The club was invited to participate in the Cinco de Mayo celebration by Community Alliance for Main Street Executive Director Rachel Kahler, who organized the event. 

“As high school students, being able to have an impact like this and grow in a community like this and bring everyone together is really nice,” Parks said. “Having all of the support is really great in hard times like this.”

To Parks, whose mother is Mexican American, Cinco de Mayo represents an opportunity to spend time with loved ones and celebrate Mexican culture. Her family usually celebrates the holiday with a cookout, serving traditional food and dancing to Mexican music.

Parks said she is hopeful an event like Heber City’s Cinco de Mayo celebration can foster cultural appreciation.

“Speaking to my family about (Fourth of July), they’re like, ‘It’s cool that they have fireworks,’ because it’s more of an American tradition,” she said. “I feel like Americans will find what we do pretty cool, and I feel like they’ll start engaging. Even seeing how many people there are here today, of all different ethnicities, it’s really cool.”

Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s 1862 victory over French invaders in the Battle of Puebla, though it is often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on Sept. 16 and commemorates the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810.

“A lot of people just say, ‘Hey, Cinco de Mayo. Let’s drink,’” explained Heber City resident Alvaro Carbajal. “The whole story behind it is more (like) we won a battle (against) one of our oppressors. … It was a step closer to liberation.”

Carbajal has Mexican heritage, but he doesn’t typically celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Despite that, he was heartened to see Heber City recognizing its Mexican American residents.

“The Hispanic community in Heber has been growing exponentially,” he said. 

One piece of evidence for that, he said, is Wasatch County School District’s expansion of its Spanish dual-immersion programs available from kindergarten through 12th grade. The programs began in 2008 and offer half of the instruction in English and the other half in Spanish to ensure fluency in both languages. 

When Carbajal went to Midway Elementary School, the only option available to him was English as a Second Language. Now, when his 5-year-old son begins at J.R. Smith Elementary School, Carbajal plans to enroll him in the dual immersion program.

For Carbajal, Heber City’s Cinco de Mayo celebration represented unity.

“It gives me hope that cultures can actually coexist together and not just look (at) the stigma that most Hispanics have,” he said. “It gives me hope to see people enjoying some of our culture, things like our food, our entertainment as well. They’re just having a blast.”

Kahler felt that sense of unity as well.

“I saw so many people that didn’t know each other talking to each other and such a melding of cultures, which is really what we wanted,” she said.

Kahler was inspired to organize the event to celebrate and highlight the Latino community.

Kahler was reminded of that purpose when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested at least four people in Heber City on April 21. Afterward, Kahler attended a Zoom meeting with Police Chief Parker Sever and Sheriff Jared Rigby to listen to the concerns of representatives from Wasatch Latino Coalition.

The current administration has cracked down on illegal immigration through ICE, which has been criticized for using tactics such as racial profiling to detain and deport Latinos.

“It really felt like it was a heavy year for the Latino community. A lot of things are happening that are out of our control. There’s a lot of fear. And I feel like, as a community, we really need to see them and step up,” Kahler said. “This felt like an opportunity to both recognize their culture and embrace their culture and embrace them as people.”

The post Heber City celebrates Cinco de Mayo with luchadores galore appeared first on Park Record.

Part of the holdup in renewing Heber City Manager Matt Brower’s employment contract in recent weeks was an anonymous complaint filed with the Office of the Utah State Auditor, which confirmed the existence of an investigation into the complaint but declined to comment further.

The complaint revolves around the City Council’s Jan. 20 approval of a contract hiring CAMS Executive Director Rachel Kahler to organize a minimum of 50 days of events downtown annually for three years.

In return, the city pays Kahler, who is also a former Heber City councilor and current Wasatch County Council candidate, an annual salary of $39,900 with no benefits. Event organizing was previously the responsibility of city employee Jody Summers, who resigned in October.

Funding for the events themselves comes from vendor fees, business sponsorships and grants, especially those funded by Heber City and Wasatch County’s Trails, Art and Park (TAP) taxes.

The complaint alleged that Brower had not disclosed his status as a CAMS board member when the City Council approved the contract, despite the fact that the names of all board members were listed in the agenda materials.

“Beyond people not reading the material that’s put in front of them, I don’t know how much more clear we need to be (about) who is serving on this board,” Kahler said.

CAMS board members are volunteers, meaning there was no financial gain for Brower in the City Council’s approval of the contract with CAMS.

However, City Councilor Yvonne Barney still had reservations. She argued that as city manager, Brower may have had “undue influence in procuring … certain funding for CAMS,” even if unintentionally. 

Barney was not comfortable renewing Brower’s employment contract while he was under investigation by the Office of the Utah State Auditor and voted against doing so on April 14. Brower’s contract was renewed that night by 4-2 vote, with Mayor Heidi Franco as the other “no” vote.

The complainant also argued that the city did not follow its procurement process in its approval of the CAMS contract, which requires competitive bidding before the purchase of a good or service. An exception is made for sole-source purchases, when there is only one viable vendor of a good or service.

City Attorney Jeremy Cook proposed ratifying the agreement as a sole-source purchase on Tuesday. The city considered CAMS a sole source because of its connections with local businesses and knowledge of downtown, as well as the time and costs that would be incurred by the city if it changed vendors.

City Councilors Barney and Morgan Murdock argued that the issue needed further discussion, but they were outvoted when the ratification of the contract was approved 3-2.

A few public commenters spoke against ratifying the CAMS contract as a sole-source purchase. 

Charleston resident and former mayoral candidate Shawn Taylor, who owns an audio production company, asked that Heber City go through the competitive bidding process. He said he believed local vendors would step up to provide the same event planning services CAMS would.

“Those larger contracts, at least, should be selected in a public, transparent process to allow local companies to participate,” he said. 

Agenda materials show that Heber City staff contacted two organizations, the Park Silly Sunday Market and Historic Park City Alliance, to see if they were interested in providing event programming before approving the CAMS contract. Both indicated they were, but the cost would be “significantly more” than $39,900. 

The agenda materials also state that the city had received no complaints from local event planners after the contract with CAMS was approved.

Kahler later said that Heber City is simply following the example of municipalities like Ogden and Vernal, which have similarly partnered with downtown revitalization organizations. 

“So many people are getting caught up in the sole (source purchase) instead of realizing the reason why Heber is looking at this relationship is because they looked at other communities and saw the success that was happening,” she said. “They saw downtown organizations that cared about what was happening and wanted to raise the bar.”

Beyond event programming, CAMS also advocates for local businesses, historic preservation and downtown beautification separately from its contract with Heber City.

Downtown events organized by CAMS will begin this year with a Cinco de Mayo party at Main Street Park on May 5. Other events this summer include Heber Market on Main, Dogs Day in the Park and free yoga and concerts at the park.

Next steps will become clear when the Office of the Utah State Auditor releases a report on its investigation. 

If the investigation finds anything untoward, the CAMS contract could be terminated, which would require 60 days’ notice to Kahler by the city. 

Additionally, the City Council could terminate Brower’s employment contract by majority vote. If Brower were fired for cause, the City Council and city attorney would be required to gather evidence against Brower and give him 10 days to provide a verbal defense in a closed session. In that case, he would not be paid severance.

The post Heber City ratifies event programming contract in light of state auditor complaint appeared first on Park Record.

Heber City held the first of three public open houses on Saturday to gather feedback on potential designs for Main Street Park, which is planned to be reimagined as a “Trailhead Plaza” to support increased event programming by the 2034 Olympics. 

That transformation began with the $3.5 million construction of the park’s main stage in June 2025. Now, engineering firm Terracon Consultants are gathering feedback on what the public would like to see added to the park. The firm has drafted three potential designs based on a master plan that architect Roger Brooks thought up in March 2025. 

Some key components of these designs include a splash pad and playground, with the primary differences between the three concept designs being the size of the ice ribbon and retail presence.

Terracon estimated elements like cost of construction and financial return using a five-star system instead of defined statistics. 

“After we get through this process, we’re going to consolidate all of the community comments, then we’re going to try to put these three options into one preferred master plan. And then, we will attach very detailed cost-estimating to that,” explained Dave Harris, principal landscape architect with Terracon. 

The construction and ongoing operations of the park may be funded by sources including Heber City’s Trails, Arts and Parks tax revenue, impact fees on new developments, state and federal grants, public-private partnerships, strategic subsidies to support vendors and revenue generated by vendors and events. 

Heber City Community Development Director Tony Kohler said Heber City already has about $8 million in impact fee revenue set aside for the park.

Roger Brooks’ original plan had a price tag of about $23 million, and the three design options by Terracon represent high-, medium- and low-cost buildouts based on Brooks’ vision.

The high-cost design maximizes space for the ice ribbon and retail, with five retail buildings along Main Street, plus a public market where park employees would sell goods from local artisans and businesses.

The medium-cost design removes the public market and brings down the number of retail buildings to one while also reducing the size of the ice ribbon. 

The low-cost design shrinks the ice ribbon to an oval and, in lieu of expansive retail options, adds a building that would serve as a rentable event venue and public market.

All three designs share some elements, including a Trailhead Center, from which park employees would store and rent out equipment, and a jewel box kiosk, a small incubator space leased to a local business. 

An executive director and staff would be hired to be responsible for programming and maintaining the park. Kohler said the city would likely “lean on” the Community Alliance for Main Street, a nonprofit organization focused on downtown revitalization, for those tasks.

Feedback from the open house’s 31 attendees was all over the place. 

Residents Kent and Karen Smith were happy with the medium-cost design because it expanded amenities without potentially crowding the space.

“I don’t expect the retail to pick up the whole tab for the park,” Kent said. “And I don’t mind paying taxes to have a nice, decent park in town.”

The couple’s primary concern was whether a park redesign and increased event programming had the public parking to support them. 

“We go every Thursday night to the park, when they have concerts in the park,” Karen said. “And, I mean, the parking down in those neighborhoods on the west end of town? People are very patient, but I don’t think they would be patient with it constantly, every weekend.” 

Heber City is looking to install a total of 1,200 public parking stalls downtown to support the full buildout of Main Street Park in 2029, as recommended by Roger Brooks.

Heber City installed a total of 83 new stalls on 100 East and at the Wasatch Wave and Tabernacle buildings in 2025. In 2026, Heber City is looking to bring the number of stalls to 267, or 22% of the goal. New stalls would be located at the Public Safety Building, the former fire station and Heber Light & Power buildings and Block 103 between 100 and 200 North. 

Other than parking, many residents were concerned about mitigating other potential impacts to neighbors, such as noise. Terracon Senior Landscape Architect Lars Erickson said those concerns would be addressed in a final design.

Former Heber City Council candidate Nick López was one of a few residents who was outright opposed to all three park designs. He wanted a simpler makeover that would add a new pavilion, restrooms, water fountains and trees. He didn’t like what he referred to as the commercialization of the park.

“It’s becoming an amusement park rather than just a tranquil, city park where we have barbecues or a Fourth of July festival,” he said. “When they say there’s going to be revenue generated, that’s maybe. But I think the cost for that is just too much.”

Meanwhile, former Heber City Councilor Scott Phillips and his wife, Kristi, were fans of the high-cost option because Terracon estimates it would bring in the most revenue.

“If we’re going to be investing that much money in a park, it’d be great to be able to generate revenue and have less tax dollars in the future sustaining it,” Scott said. 

He also thought the row of retail buildings along Main Street would act as a buffer between the park and Main Street traffic.

“Right now, if you’re sitting in the park, it’s just loud and obnoxious,” he said.

Heber City Councilor Yvonne Barney said that, while she liked the idea of a buffer, she thought a clear view of the park from Main Street would attract more visitors than a row of buildings.

Barney leaned toward the medium-cost option and thought all three options were an improvement on Roger Brooks’ original design because they provided greater consideration for the lawn and trees. 

All three designs try to save as many existing trees as possible while planting new saplings in and around the park, represented by green circles with plus signs on the design maps.

While Barney was eager to provide her thoughts on the design, she was even more eager in encouraging residents to voice their desires for the park.

“Change is hard,” she said. “But if we don’t want someone to come and change it for us, then we control what we can change.”

There are two open houses scheduled for Thursday. The first takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wasatch County Recreation Center. The second takes place 4 to 7 p.m. at J.R. Smith Elementary School. There is also an online survey available at tinyurl.com/3w27n2w2 through the end of the month. As of Tuesday morning, there had been 116 responses to the survey.

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Park City in coming weeks will continue discussions about building a plaza toward the southern end of Main Street, a project that businesses along the shopping, dining and entertainment strip desire and an idea that has won support at City Hall but must still secure a final go-ahead.

Main Street sees a plaza as an important part of a package of streetscape improvements meant to ensure the business district remains competitive against outlying commercial centers. The plaza will be one of the most ambitious projects City Hall has pursued along Main Street.

The plaza is designed for the Brew Pub parking lot, which is on the east side of Main Street and borders Swede Alley. Park City leaders earlier identified the parking lot as the potential location of a plaza.

The Park City Council is tentatively scheduled to address the issue at a meeting on March 30. The plaza, though, is expected to be one of the highlights at an open house that is planned on Wednesday. City Hall staffers at the open house will outline the municipal work plan for 2017, covering numerous projects and programs. The open house is scheduled from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Park City Library.

City Hall could start work on the plaza in the fall of 2017 or the spring of 2018. If the work starts in the fall of 2017, it could continue through the winter or be halted for the ski season and then restarted in the spring. Park City anticipates the work will cost $7 million and last eight or nine months.

The project involves greenspace, restrooms, a play area for kids, a covered pavilion and a water feature designed to resemble a brook. A 38-space garage will be built underneath the plaza. The garage will replace some of the 50 parking spaces that will be lost at the Brew Pub lot is redeveloped into the plaza. The designs also call for a bypass road linking Main Street and Swede Alley. City Hall says the bypass road is anticipated to be closed to traffic at most times but opened during events to ease traffic flow.

The open house on Wednesday, meanwhile, will also offer an opportunity to learn about City Hall’s development plans along the lower Park Avenue corridor. Officials are pursuing an aggressive plan to build work force or otherwise restricted housing on municipal parcels on or close to lower Park Avenue.

Some of the other projects expected to be covered at the open house include:

• the bus system
• plans for public art
• City Hall’s environmental programs
• plans for recreation facilities
• special events
• roadwork planned on Lowell Avenue and in ProspectorCity Hall sees the open house, which is similar to those in past years, as an opportunity for Park City residents and others to learn about a broad work plan at a single event rather than needing to attend a series of gathering about individual projects. Municipal staffers and City Hall-hired consultants will be available to answer questions.

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