Lehi's City Council cleared the way Tuesday night for a new community icon. Perhaps it will be a wakeboarding lake, a basketball arena or Utah's tallest building - a five-star hotel - that would stand as the new landmark.

Or maybe it will be all three. After all, renowned architect Frank Gehry is designing them.

In any case, project developer Brandt Andersen said he was pleased with Tuesday's approval.

"This is great, it's what we hoped would happen," Andersen said. "The council really showed they want to see this done."

Lehi Mayor Howard Johnson gave the official go-ahead late Tuesday night, saying "Mr. Brandt, go to work."

Andersen joked that he almost ran out to grab a shovel.

For Gehry and Andersen, the site-plan and rezoning approvals mean they can move forward with specific designs on the massive undertaking. They have meetings planned next week to begin giving the development actual form rather than abstract ideas of where buildings would appear.

The council's approval of the 85-acre mixed-use development came on the heels of virtually no public input. Just two residents have spoken publicly about the project.

One supported the general development but told the Planning Commission that he was worried about Lehi's struggling infrastructure and the impact the 2,499 residential units would have on the roads. The other requested environmental studies to be sure underground water amenities don't leak into parking structures. "Everyone has been excited, and continues to be excited, about that project," said Lehi Planning Director Dianna Webb on Tuesday. "We never, in our wildest dreams, imagined anything like this project."

Webb said the new zone includes plans for a fire station, police station and underground parking, which will help maintain 50 percent of the project as open space and reduce the need for private vehicles to circulate on the property.

sgehrke@sltrib.com