Let's build the
Heber Valley Temple!
Introduction
As development plans for the Heber Valley Temple have become a topic of public discussion, a number of questions and concerns have arisen among members of our community. This page is a grass roots effort organized by citizens of our valley to highlight concerns some have expressed, present important facts and information in order to attempt to answer questions and resolve concerns. The group behind this site has no paid or professional connection to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are simply Latter-day Saints who live in our beautiful Heber Valley and support the plans to build the Temple. We recognize that there are genuine concerns regarding the building of the Temple; We believe that this site is a good way to answer questions and provide information relating to those concerns that can be easily accessed and shared with residents of our valley.
"I've heard that the lighting on the Temple will harm our dark skies, is that true?"
The Church has worked over a long period of time with the County to ensure that the lighting of the Temple will comply with all aspects of the recently adopted Dark Skies Ordinance. Wasatch County staff and elected officials spent a considerable amount of time working with Dr. John Barentine, an industry leading expert and the former director of conservation for the International Dark Skies Association (IDA) based in Tucson Arizona. The ordinance that resulted from this effort was heralded by Professor Barentine as "The most progressive Dark-Sky ordinance" in the Nation.
In the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the lighting of Temples holds profound spiritual significance. Temples are regarded as The House of the Lord, where individuals make covenants and participate in ordinances that bind families together for eternity. Lighting plays a crucial role in emphasizing the holiness and sanctity of these edifices. The soft, radiant glow that envelops the Temple grounds during the evening hours symbolizes the eternal light of Christ and serves as a visual reminder of His presence within these hallowed walls. It is a way to invite all who pass by to ponder the eternal truths taught within and to feel the peace and beauty that can be found in God's house.
Moreover, the careful and deliberate illumination of Temples also reflects the belief in being a light to the world. As followers of Christ, members of the Church are encouraged to be examples of goodness, kindness, and love in their communities. Temples, with their illumination, serve as beacons of hope and symbols of the Church's commitment to bringing light and truth to a world often overshadowed by darkness and confusion. In this sense, lighting Temples is not only an act of reverence and devotion but also a way of fulfilling the scriptural mandate to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
The Church has published the following renderings of what the lights on the Temple will look like at night:
As you can see from these images, the Temple will be carefully lit to maintain a quiet reverence in the Temple grounds and surrounding area while respectfully illuminating this sacred building. We feel that this represents a wonderful compromise, blending respect for the dark skies, observing public safety & Federal requirements while emphasizing the physical symbol that is The House of the Lord.
"Could building the Temple have a negative impact on our County's water supply?"
As is the case with many areas of our Valley, the Temple site has a very high water table. The Church retained an independent engineering firm (Bowen Collins & Associates) to conduct a groundwater investigation on the site. This investigation discovered that ground water is present starting at 10 feet below ground level. This high water table presents a challenge for construction on the site as has been the case for all previous development in that area. As required with previous developments in the vicinity, this will necessitates a dewatering process to facilitate construction and ensure the safety of the foundations moving forward.
During the foundational work phase, 600 - 800 gallons per minute of surface level groundwater will be pumped away from the site into nearby Lake Creek. This flow of water accounts for approximately 1% of the creek's capacity and will not create any flood risk. It is important to understand that the water being pumped is shallow groundwater and not any water from the deep aquifers that provide culinary and irrigation water to this part of the valley. Community wells in that part of the valley to underground aquifers don’t begin drawing water until 150 feet below ground level, therefore this transfer of this surface water will not affect their output or quality. The construction of the Temple will have no negative impact on the availability of culinary or irrigation water to the residents of the County.
Once the initial construction phase is complete, the pumps will be turned off and the amount of drainage will drop to between 120 and 150 gallons per minute conducted naturally via a gravity-fed "French Drain" system at the base of the Temple foundation. The drainage will then drop to 50 to 80 Gallons Per Minute during long-term operation. All discharged water will enter Lake Creek and will be reintroduced into the Heber Valley ground water system.
In 2022 the Church hired professional engineers and a geologist to study water related issues and to coordinate appropriate solutions with county, State, and Federal agencies. None of these agencies have expressed any concerns or reservations about the proposed work. This isn't surprising because what the Church is proposing is quite standard and common best practice in areas with high water tables.
The close proximity of the temple site to Lake Creek, coupled with the
natural slope of the land toward the creek, makes this site suitable for the Temple and will not have an adverse impact on the surrounding ecology or environment. Particularly, the Temple will not adversely affect precious water resources in our community and it will also not require continual pumping. There is nothing unusual, dangerous, hazardous or alarming about the ground water situation.
"I'm worried that the Temple will bring a lot of new traffic to the area, can center street handle that?"
The Temple site is located at 1516 East Center Street. Center Street is a major arterial road connecting Heber City with a number of large residential communities on the east side of the valley. There is a large amount of new development going in to that part of the valley that will result in over 3,000 new homes constructed in the coming months and years.
The Church commissioned a detailed Traffic Impact Study for the areas surrounding the Temple by Fehr & Peers. The study was peer reviewed and confirmed by Horrocks Engineers, an independent traffic engineering firm hired by Heber City. The study found that the Level of Service for intersections surrounding the Temple will remain at acceptable levels following construction of the Temple.
This isn't surprising considering the fact that the Temple has been designated as equating to 200 houses in terms of traffic impact. This would mean that the Temple will only account for 6% of the additional traffic introduced by the new development in the east end of the valley and will represent approximately 2% of the TOTAL traffic in that area once all the approved new development is completed.
With 98% of the ultimate traffic in the area from other sources, the long-
term impact of the traffic attributable to the Temple is minimal. Moreover, the Church has agreed to install, at its own expense, a round-about on Center Street at the west entrance to the Temple property to mitigate the impact of that 2%, along with mitigating other traffic using that intersection.
Other developments impacting traffic on Center Street much more
substantially have been, and are being, approved. Fairness suggests that the Temple should not be singled out when its ultimate impact is relatively small.
"Isn't the Temple too big for such a small community?"
It is a well accepted fact that demand drives supply. This is as true when it comes to land development as it is for many other aspects of life. Whether it be retails stores, restaurants, ski resorts or golf courses. When considering the location and size of a facility, the developers take into account the likely headcount of people who will utilize the facility.
Each Temple built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an associated Temple District. A Temple district is a geographic area that encompasses multiple congregations: Stakes, Wards and Branches of the Church. The concept of a Temple District is related to the organization and logistics of Temple attendance for members.
When a new Temple is built or an existing one is renovated, a designated geographic area is assigned to that Temple. This area becomes the Temple district for that specific Temple. Members of the Church who live within this district are assigned to attend that specific Temple. Members are encouraged to attend the Temple regularly, at least once a month as individuals, couples and families. The purpose of organizing Temple districts is to manage and facilitate the use of the Temple resources efficiently.
Temple attendance is a fundamental part of religious practice for Latter-day Saints, and assigning specific Districts helps distribute the workload among different Temples and prevents overcrowding or major traffic disruption. For many Church members regular weekly attendance at the Temple is a core component of their religious worship and having designated Districts allows for convenient access to the blessings and ordinances provided within the Temple while ensuring that the Temple facilities are used effectively.
The Heber Valley Temple District will serve members of the Church in Wasatch County, Summit County, parts of Utah County, parts of Duschene County and parts of South-West Wyoming. There are tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints who will live in the Heber Valley Temple District. The Latter-day Saint population of this Temple District naturally necessitates a similar sized Temple to those existing in Temple Districts with similar sized populations.
The Church takes great care to build Temples to meet the current and future needs of the members within a Temple District. The geographic area comprising the Heber Valley Temple District has seen a dramatic increase in population over the last 20 years, this has understandably resulted in a similar increase in the Latter-day Saint population. It is expected that this trend will continue for decades to come.
The Heber Valley Temple can presently accommodate at most between 2000 and 2500 visitors a day. Considering the Temple District will be home to over 30,000 Latter-day Saints, even a Temple of this size will require appointments and scheduling. If the Church was to build a Temple on a similar scale to those built in Districts with smaller, less concentrated, Latter-day Saint populations, this would create a burdensome challenge for members seeking to practice a core tenet of their faith on a regular basis.
With over 175 years of experience in building Temples in the Intermountain West, the Church has become a subject matter expert on all aspects of Temple logistics. We believe the Temple project has been appropriately sized to accommodate the needs of current and future members in the Temple District it serves. The design has elements similar to other buildings and architectural features in the valley, and with its massing and steeple, is an architectural expression of religious faith and is intended to draw the religious adherent skyward towards the divine.
How can you help?
We hope that this site has been helpful in explaining some of the concerns that members of our community have had relating to the Temple. If, having read through this information, you feel that you can support the building of the Temple then we invite you to do the following:
1. Please click HERE to sign the petition and show your support for the building of the Temple. Encourage family, friends and neighbors to do likewise.
2. Please send an email to our Wasatch County Councillors and Commissioners explaining your support for the Temple and asking for a speedy approval so that this Temple can be built and be a blessing to everyone in our Valley.
The email address for the County Council is: Council@wasatch.utah.gov
The email address for the Planning Commission is: Planning@wasatch.utah.gov
3. Visit Wasatch County Online to find listings of upcoming planning commission and County Council meetings where the Temple will be discussed and voted on. Please make arrangements to attend and support the approval of the Temple!
This website is NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has been published by residents of Heber Valley acting in their capacity as private citizens.